Letters From the Broken
by IAmRyllis
Summary: All the most popular kids in school start getting letters from a girl who calls herself 'the broken', leaving them utterly baffled. Who is she, and how does she know so much about each of them? And yet, the broken herself isn't about to tell.
1. Chapter 1

**Letters from the Broken**

_I love you, but you'd never see_

_Just how much you mean to me_

_I love you true_

_I love you so_

_But you just had to up and go_

_Did you know, that I love you?_

_Did you know, I mean it too_

_When I say, I say I love you_

_I've always, always, loved you, too_

Dear Tsukiyomi Ikuto,

Yeah, you read that correctly. Tsukiyomi Ikuto, that's a rather disgusting name to say, isn't it? I'd love to say I wish I'd met you, but I'm afraid I'd be lying. Did you know: I've been in your classes since the fifth grade, if you omit a year in middle school where I moved to Seiyo. Yet, a year later, there you were! Again! Imagine my horror at seeing you back here after having such a relief from you and your perverted ways!

I've admitted I missed you, but telling you is something completely different. Did you know that you're the only one who calls me a kid, still? Honestly, my parents only ever call me… a nickname (you don't need to know).Yea, I admit, you didn't have much competition for calling me a kid the most.

Oh, right. You don't know who I am, now do you? I'm afraid you shall be in the dark a while longer sire. I don't intend to tell my identity, although I'm not quite sure how you could not know with a hint as obvious as the one I've given you.

HA! You're looking for a personality in this letter, now aren't you! You won't find one. At least, not one, per say, 'in character' to any girl you know at school.

Whoops. Now you know I'm a girl. Shame, I wanted to hide that a bit longer, but I guess what's done is done. I don't suppose my crossing that out would do much good? Nope, it would have. Geez. Now you have the ability to say "well, she's such a…"

I know you would. You seem like the type of person who would do such a thing like talking about someone you don't even know from behind their backs. Rude. That's what you are.

Rude like that guy who sneaks onto a little girl's balcony and knocks at nigh hours of the night, obviously awaiting an answer…

Oh. There I go, saying too much again. You must know who it is, although I'm not quite sure that you of all people would know. After all, I've been told that you can be even denser than I am sometimes. Anyway, that's pretty dense.

Oh, I think I'm rambling. On paper, it's actually kind of sad how impossible such an embarrassing feat is. Then imagine how embarrassing the achievement of such a thing is. LAME!

Yeah, well, I've got to go. You can reply if you want, just leave it outside your locker. I'll get it. It's not that hard; most gossip girls tend not to take papers from some guy who always gets love confessions anyway.

I mean, who does that? Creepy people.

But I digress. As in, way big time digress. So long,

The Broken (Hearted)

_You broke my heart, so here I cry_

_Until the day, the day I die_

_No more! No more! No more, says I_

_But there you stay among your lies_

_I'm still breaking, and you don't care_

_You watch, you're safe, just over there_

_Far enough to live, close enough to stay_

_If only, if only you'd just go away_

_Yet there, right there, still there you stay_

_Does that mean, that means, that I'll go away_

Dear Mashiro Rima,

I know you. You should know me. Want a hint?

…

…

I'm not giving you one. Who's the funny one now? Yeah, I get you. Did you hear me, funny girl? Oh, you're not funny. Come on, you know you want to be! You like to make people laugh, don't you. You're not making me laugh right now. You just ignore me.

I don't take it too personally, don't worry. After all, you ignore nearly everybody in school. I don't think I make much of a difference.

You're a funny girl. A funny, funny girl. You think you make up the whole world.

Funny girl, funny, funny, funny girl.

Besides that, did you know that you did used to talk to me? I mean, you. As in, Miss anti-social princess, talking to me! Imagine that! If I'd known at the time what you would become, I would've cherished the thought. But I didn't, because I was so naïve as to what was happening at your house.

Why didn't you tell me your parents were having such fights? Why didn't you….

Forget it. The past is the past. After all, it may not be written in stone, but that doesn't mean that you can possibly change such creations of past events. Now what are you? Well, you don't have anyone. I guess that means you're a person with no one?

Excuse my harsh words, but I do believe that that hardly classifies you for being a human at all. Oh, you hardly even try to have someone! You push everyone away with that little shell of yours. You've changed since I've last known you, Rima-chan.

Heh, I guess I've blown that one, am I right? Yes, I've known you Rima-chan, I've known you quite well. I'm nearly ready to say I know you best of all.

Oh, you do know me, too. Just it's a question on whether you remember little ol' me, that friend you had once upon a time.

Do you know what they're like, friends, I mean? They're the best thing that can happen to a person. Will you be my friend?

Doubtful. Ha. Ha. Hahaha. Funny, funny girl…

The Broken (Laughter)

_You're a funny boy. A funny, funny, funny boy_

_When will you realize, that you're just a toy_

_You're just a toy, you funny boy_

_Who makes people laugh, gives people joy_

_But you're just a toy, to be thrown to the trash_

_And then you will find, when your ideas do clash_

_You're a funny boy, I'll give you that_

_A funny, funny boy, but that's just that_

_Hey, funny, funny, funny boy_

_I'm sorry, so sorry, but you're still just my toy_

Dear Fujisaki Nagihiko,

I didn't know you like funn- I mean Rima. Whoops, there I go again, accidentally spouting off secrets of mine. I didn't mean to, but don't read too much into it. Rima, oh Rima. I've seen the way you look at her. You like her, did you know that? I'd bet you didn't. You're a funny boy like that.

By the way, I didn't know that you weren't always such a boy. Who am I to think out of the blue that you are such a graceful person, yet there's the proof! The proof that announced itself! I was amazed to say the least.

Nadeshiko. Apparently, your twin. I'm not sure if this is my stupidity taking over, but I'm sure you're an only child. Gasp, shock, the horror. A random girl with a pen and paper and a little too much time on her hands knows a bit too much about you. Sigh, what to do, what to do.

Don't worry, Nagihiko, your secret is safe with me. After all, nobody listens to a nobody no matter what the information held is. Apparently, they probably wouldn't believe me anyway. I mean, who is a nobody to say that one of _the_ most popular guys, next to some other idiotic popular guy, is a post cross-dresser? How dare she spout off his secrets! Let us go and violate her privacy by chasing her everywhere (including the bathroom).

Shiver. It's happened before. Don't get me wrong, it was worth it, but I would never willingly go through that torture again. I mean…

Shutting up now. Yep, you probably think that's a good idea. No worries, I agree. This was a horrible idea, but I think you must know. I know a lot about you, Nagihiko. What do you know about me?

You know I've got pen, paper, a little too much time on my hands, and knowledge. A lot of knowledge. About you. Such things have done great harm in the past.

What else? Oh, you know I'm a girl. That's more than I can say about you. Are you really a boy… or….

The Broken (Dancer)

_Of grace and song_

_You dance along_

_To a silent, a quiet, a hidden song_

_Do you, do you sing, sing along?_

_And then, and then, you get the words wrong!_

_Imagine! To sing a silent song,_

_How oh how, do you sing a song_

_Such a song, a song, a song for the gone?_

_And then, and then, get those words wrong!_

Dear Tsukiyomi (Or was it Hoshina?) Utau,

Hey Popstar! Is it okay if I call you that? I mean, you are one, right?

…

Wait, you're not supposed to know that I know that. Whoops. Okay, ignore that. Pretend that was just a figment of your imagination, like most things are. It's all in your head Popstar. All of it. Yep, let's go with that!

Anyway, back to the main subject… Oh, never mind. So let's create a subject! You know, do you try to get… how should I say it… _The Best of Both Worlds_? You can't, Popstar. Did you know that you're either an angel, a devil, or way too indecisive for anyone to get close to you? It's a shame, really. A crying shame. Heh, not really. I've never cried for this. You're so boring, Popstar.

Oh, what else was it, you have a crush, don't you. Who was it, that boy you always say you hate? Souma, that's him, right? You probably thought of him the moment I said _you have a crush_, heh. You know, that means that you're in love already. It's too late to salvage your sanity. That's gone way down, it's impossible now.

I don't think he'd like an angel, now would he? Not someone who always follows the rules. You seem to always take a liking to those bad boys. It's sad, really. Popstar, you should take better care of your heart. He'd love a devil, but he's too much of one by himself.

Never mind. In this case, maybe being indecisive is a blessing. After all, he'd never love just an angel or devil. Maybe a weird concoction of the two would work instead. Heh, he's a freak. Pretty much perfect for you, right?

Okay, don't answer that. Nope, never. Anyway, just wanted to say that your little crush is on the right way, as in, he likes you much. Like, how do you say it, _like_ likes you a lot, bunch, very much.

Congrats? Oh, wait, I probably should've never told you that…

Okay, so hint. You need a hint as to who I am, don't you? Well, I'm one of the people who knows who you really are. Amazing, I know, right?

Just so you know, that doesn't necessarily mean that you told me so.

The Broken (Song)

_You play such a sweet melody_

_And swing along eternally_

_Step by step, it's a game you play_

_To kick or throw, day by day_

_Say it's a sport, a way to live_

_Yet no one believes any of it_

_So hear a sweet little melody_

_As you go step by step, every day_

_And then you finish finally_

_A win or loss, it's stupidity_

**More to come :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Letters From the Broken**

_It's a melody_

_You move to see_

_A sweet melody_

_A melancholy melody_

_Do you, do you, do you see?_

_What a harmful, hurtful, melody?_

_Do you try to run away?_

_To leave the hurt in any way?_

_Call it a sport, it's only play_

_Yet all you're doing is running away_

Dear Souma Kukai,

Hey there sporty jerk! You have no idea how incredibly unhappy I am to be writing to you. Heh, you think this is all a fun game, don't you? It's not quite so much of a game when you are the one getting hurt.

You seem to have changed a lot since elementary and middle school. What happened to the funny guy who used to do anything to help a friend in need?

Wait, don't answer that. Maybe that's still you. How should I know? After all, I can't really call myself a friend of yours anymore.

But you do have one 'enemy' that you could never hurt or watch get hurt. What's her name, Utau, was it? I haven't seen you look like such a lost, lovesick puppy since grade school! I mean woah! You, the bad boy of the school who likes no one, are a cute, adorable, and helpless lovesick puppy!

Imagine the chaos if this information got out!

No, that wasn't a threat, in case you were wondering. What delusion would ever make you think that for even a half of a second? After all, I don't really look forward to reading about 'Souma Kukai has a crush!' every single time I pick up a school paper to read each day. I mean, boring much?

Oh, wow, I was too busy rambling to realize that I just let out a very revealing secret. I'm a student in this school who not only buys the newspaper but also, wait for it, reads said school newspaper! Gasp! Shock! The horror! Who would do such a thing?

Well, I do. Amazing, right? I mean, not even the people on the journalism team the school newspaper that they painstakingly write every single day. Yet here I am, a student who reads it on a regular basis!

It's a wonder I'm not famous.

…

Actually, no, no it's not. In fact, my reading the paper might be the reason for my being dubbed by a complete and utter nobody in this school by anyone who even bothers to look at me. Sigh.

But that is way beside the point. The point is—actually there never was a point to this. Unless, of course, you count me completely invading your privacy in a completely unforgivable fashion that you will never forget and will actually never forgive. And, if you want to stretch my intentions just a bit, you can also add that I plan on you seeking revenge on me for the rest of your high school career, therein never resting until you finally figure out who I am.

You're welcome, by the way, for the step-by-step plan that I just gave as to how you should react to this for the rest of how ever long you will be here in this school. I know it would've taken you a while to think of this on your own. I don't really want you to strain your brain too much. That would be a bit sad.

The Broken (Friend)

_Oh to play_

_A child, a child, a child, you say!_

_To play a game in which you lose_

_In which the winner has to choose_

_To live and grieve or die and love_

_Oh, how one wishes only to do both_

"_But I'm just a kid"_

_And so a kid you shall be_

_As you play and play and play_

_Play that game, that game and say_

"_Oh I hate that game!" yet still you stay!_

Dear Yuiki Yaya,

Wow! Look who's all grown up now! I mean, look at you! All beautiful and popular now, you don't even need me to stick around and play with you anymore. Actually, you don't need me at all, you hardly even forget to say 'thanks' to me when I bake you lunch and leave it in your locker.

Wait, back up. You mean that—gasp—that lunch is actually _deliberately_ left there every day on purpose? Well, yeah. Seriously, what sort of idiot loses the same thing in the same place in the same way for the same exact reason every single day?

Probably the one related to the girl who forgets her lunch at home every day. Or the one who feeds it to the kids at school who look like they haven't eaten in forever. Or the one who forces it towards the anorexic cheerleaders in hopes that they would actually eat.

You're way too nice to these people, Yaya. Honestly, why help those who only harm you?

Of course, maybe you're only nice to those people because you are mean to others. After all, you are too naïve to notice that they hurt you, yet too paranoid to believe that I wouldn't hurt you in a million years.

Amazing, you're like some sort of rushing mad scientist, ruled by thought and society. As in, you don't even stop to check and talk to me or ask 'how was your day?' or even force food upon my plate when I forget to bring two lunches sometimes and so I just give you one instead.

That's not to say that you should ignore the food that you find from now on, though. When I place it in that spot in your locker, I do mean to place it in that spot in your locker. After all, who is stupid enough to accidentally break into your locker? Probably the one who forgets stuff on a usual basis, it all makes sense now, neh? All these people who help you out on accident are the same person!

That, or they help you out on purpose.

In other news, did you notice that you're flippin brilliant? Hence the reason why you are a rushing mad scientist and not just a normal rushing mad person. It's a shame, really, how you find a need to be overshadowed by your younger brother, and then complain about it once you set foot here.

Now you can sit there and scream at me 'you don't understand!' all you want, but the truth is that I do, and you're not about to change that with a few angry words. I have a sibling too, and she's about as amazing and beautiful and talent as any idol you can name off the top of your head.

But I'm just her stupid older sibling with nothing going right in their life, so you can complain all you want, but your life just isn't that extraordinary. That's right, you've got everything going for you that the rest of us have going for us.

The only thing that you have that's way different than me is that you have friends who are willing to listen to you moan about your life, while I've got nothing. You're the playful smiling face of the school while I am nobody.

Still feel like complaining? No? Didn't think so.

The Broken (Hopes)

_You're still a child, yet you drown in work_

_And drown your sorrows by being a jerk_

_You ache and scream_

_Yet don't be seen_

_Because you hardly try_

_To watch your life go by and by_

_And by, and by, and by bye-bye_

Dear Sanjo Kairi,

Hey there you work-obsessed nerd who, by some weird lapse in reality, is actually popular in school in a way that doesn't involve bullies and toilets! Wow, you're almost as much of a freak as I am! Of course, not quite, seeing as I'm such an awesome freak. For the record, I'm not getting rid of my self-nominated title of more-freakish-than-the-most-freakish-popular-kid-in-the-school. Also known as you. After all, it's not particularly normal for a nerd to become popular in high school.

I mean, if I've learned anything about ridiculous high school cliques in my year of high school, and believe me I have, then I know that the nerds and the popular kids are at two completely opposite ends of the useless-clique spectrum.

That, and relatives of the strictest teachers in school generally aren't too popular either. I mean, Yukari-sensei is your sister? I can't imagine how you can possibly be popular with that information out!

Oh, wait. I forgot one thing. That information isn't necessarily out to the public, now is it? I've noticed how you guard your secret carefully, to make sure that nobody finds out. Yet here I am. I found out.

What are you going to do, now? What can you do? I know all about you, class president.

What do you know about me? You know I have a grudge against popular kids. You know I'm a freak. What good does this do for you?

Admit it, you're stuck. You are stuck and you can't get out alone. You can't get out without friends, as you have been living without them for a while now. You pushed us away, and now you're alone.

It's your fault, really. You've only got your stupid self to blame for that. Try keeping that a secret.

The Broken (Secret)

_You look to me_

_I look to you_

_What is it that you see?_

_I see a man_

_Lost in himself_

_You don't even see me!_

_I'm like a mirror,_

_Isn't that the truth?_

_I'm just a mirror_

_To you_

_You love yourself_

_You love your lie_

_And I just sit here_

_And cry and cry_

_I cry for your poor wasted life_

Dear Hotori Tadase,

I can't believe I'm actually writing to the prince himself! Yes, I say prince, and I do mean that in the most offensive way possible, don't worry. How's it going? You poor thing, are you still sexually confused? Do you find yourself falling in love with parts of people while still viewing the entirety of said person only as a friend in the loosest sence?

Poor girl, or is it a boy this time? I can never tell. Now, you may think I'm accusing you of being gay, but I'm not. In fact, that's quite absurd. I'm just a bit sore about last time, when I was the poor person who fell victim to your sweet talking, and then to your confusion. It's amazing how heartbroken you made me. It's sad how you don't even care, how you never cared.

But that's enough about me. I must've talked about myself too much! Let's talk about you, as usual. It's amazing how very self-centered you are. I've never met a single person as obsessed with themselves in my short life.

Oh! That must be why you're confused as in what gender you like! I get it! You're a boy, but you look like a girl, hence why you'll never really know what gender to love. How narcissistic of you: to love yourself and, to fill the void, to pretend to love those like you.

Now, what about the rest of them? The people not like you? Well, sir princely narcissist, I am here to tell you what happens to the rest of us. We, like everyone else in the world, otherwise known as the nobodies, are disposable tools. We are your royal subjects, sir, and we are meant to fulfill any task you press upon us no matter how unusual it may seem.

Yet, prince, you must understand, as tools we are strong. We do the harshest things with all our might and achieve the impossible. But here I lay, subjected to the harsh reality of everything because you, frankly, don't care what happened to me and you never will. Because, although we are strong and although we will never scream out in pain loud enough for you to do more than shake your head in annoyance as though shaking off a biting fly buzzing in your royal ear, we are not invincible.

We are dull, yet we are sharp. We are strong, yet we are brittle. We are firm, yet we are flexible. We are in your service until you break us into little because you, frankly, are too self-absorbed to notice how you kill us.

So yes, I am a broken tool. Yes, I am a subject of your majesty who has long since thrown off her shackles in favor of the cool and cutting wind.

And I know everything about you. I know enough to snap your whole royal fantasy in half with a single word. But you? Sorry, prince, but you don't even know my name.

The Broken (Tool)

_How do you feel sorry_

_For someone who only hurts?_

_Someone who hurts you with words_

_And cuts you with silence_

_As you sit there and sit there_

_With a smile breaking up your face_

_With tears that you want to cry_

_And yet cries you can never scream out_

_How do you feel sorry_

_For someone who only hurts you_

_With everything they do_

_And yet_

_Despite everything_

_Doesn't even care to notice you?_

I stare at the typed letters lining my desk with a smile softly ghosting itself inside my face. _That's what they get for forgetting about me_, I think as I carefully fold each letter into its own individual envelope.

"Amu! You're going to be late to school!" My mom screams at me from downstairs, causing me to jump up from my desk chair in shock.

"Coming mom!" I stuff every letter into my backpack before rushing down the stairs with my backpack strapped to my back.

**OH SHOOT! Eight reviews! Arigato-arigato-arigato-arigato :P Thanks much! Heh**

**Made me want to write the rest of the letters as soon as possible ;) Teehee :D You guys seriously made my day!**


	3. Chapter 3

I am completely conscious of the letters in my backpack as I rush down the stairway. At the bottom, though, I have to stop because my twelve year old little sister is standing right in my way with the most ridiculously infuriated look pasted on her fake little face.

"You're going to make us late again, Amu!" She pouts, her lips unnaturally red because of the lipstick that she had carefully put on this morning.

I roll my eyes, "I know." I push past her, though, so that I could actually eat some breakfast. "You know you should eat, Ami."

She glares at me, "I do!" She screeches out in frustration, slamming open the front door before stomping outside, "I'll be waiting in the car!"

But I ignore her, like I usually do, in favor of quickly grabbing a Poptart on my way to the door. "Bye Mom!" I yell, not really expecting for her to hear or answer.

But she does, "Okay, take care of Ami!"

I sigh. Always, every day. Why is it only Ami that they care about?

Oh, you must be really confused right now, aren't you? My name is Hinamori Amu, and I happen to be the local nobody of Seiyo High School in a whole pool of unimportant nobodies. Seiyo High is like any other school: it has its popular kids, and then it has its 'everyone else's. Then, below those mundane background characters are those unimportant mundane who just-so-happen to go to the same school as the popular kids.

And then there's me. Apparently, I'm so stupidly easy to forget that hardly anyone remembers I exist for more than a day.

"Amu! Hurry up!" In the passenger seat of my small car Ami screeches at me, impatiently drumming her hands on her chair as I slowly drag my feet to the car.

That is Ami, my amazingly talented and sweet and pretty and beautiful and self-absorbed little sister. Before she started attending middle school, we used to be the best of friends. Of course, nothing lasts forever, especially not innocence. And so, here she is today as a complete jerk.

I sigh before climbing into the car and throwing my backpack into the back seats. Ami tries to dig herself farther into her seat, probably to avoid being seen with me, before resigning herself to pointedly stare in front of her through the windshield the whole drive.

Turning the car key in the ignition, I start up the car and turn the volume on the radio up in a poor attempt to drown out the painful silence that, otherwise, completely overtakes any good feelings that those letters had left inside of my stupid life.

Another day of high school only means another day of useless knowledge that I will never really need to revisit later in life. How very useless everything we do there on a regular basis nearly chills me to the bone, but I've learned to ignore the feeling of dread the seeps into my bones as I pull the car into park at the school.

_Welcome to Seiyo High School!_ Out front, the school banner waves freely as other teenagers talk to their friends as they climb out of cars and avoid entering the actually building. _Welcome to the worst days of your life is more like it,_ I think to myself, pulling my backpack closer as I stalk past all of my cheery peers.

Before the school bell rings to signal the beginning of the school day, the hallways are completely empty, save for a few teachers hurriedly scattered throughout the school as they nervously await the stampede of school kids yet to come. I count on this, simply because there is no use letting anyone know that I'm writing letters to the most popular kids. Here, that enough is grounds for social humiliation and, if you stretch it a bit, social suicide.

_Tsukiyomi_, I pull out the first letter already labeled with a typed up name as I run two fingers across every locker in site. I don't even bother looking at the numbers, instead relying on the fact that a multitude of love letters would be bulging out of his otherwise-empty locker.

It's not like I like the kid that much or anything, but I have to fight to stifle the immediate gag-reflex that overwhelms me when I see his locker. So many letters, mostly of a disgusting pale pink color much lighter than my hair, stuffed with hearts outside of his locker.

Rolling my eyes, I quickly open one that someone had stupidly sealed only with tape, stuffing my letter with my boring envelope inside, not even touching the letter within the breached envelope before stuffing it back with the rest of the confessions.

_One down, seven to go!_

The next one is Rima's. Unlike Tsukiyomi, she doesn't even bother reading notes that end up in her locker, so I figure that it's no use to do the same with her letter. Instead, I remember how she always used to end up being the only one to clean up the book case after school. It might take a while for her to get it, but it's worth a shot!

I carefully slide her letter between the two thickest books on one of the bottom shelves, so she'll be able to reach it herself.

_Two done, next Utau_.

Utau seemed to be easy enough. I didn't even have to do much but go to her desk, which is generally the well known 'touch and you die' spot of the school. Slipping the envelope in, I check her off my mental check list.

_Three now? Nagihiko…_ I wander throughout the building before accidentally walking into the dance studio door. Inside, I hear music playing, and the unmistakable sound of feet softly hitting the floor in graceful twirls, like a more sophisticated form of ballet.

With a smile, I stuff his letter under the door, knowing that no matter who is in the room right now, he will eventually get the letter.

_Four, next Kukai_, and this time I knew where to go. Kukai, obviously, was on the soccer team, seeing as he was such a jerk of a jock. And, if you know anything about jocks, you know that they have practice in the mornings making it absolutely essential for them to check the board every morning for personal information on what practice they will be doing.

It's easy enough for me to do that that I don't even have to take five minutes before I'm off to the student council office to drop off Kairi's—what do they call it there?—notice. His letter goes in a pile of other useless junk that, as student council president, he has to weed through with a scowl.

_Two more_, I head to the commonly named room-for-egotistical-popular-kids, as in the cafeteria. On a padded chair, often called the 'Prince's Throne,' I place the letter for Tadase.

Yaya's I just slip into the extra lunch box on my way to drop it off, and then I head off to class. It's as easy as that, and the bell only rings once I'm done.

**~*Meanwhile*~**

With Kukai-

The bell rings, automatically announcing for his quick entrance into the sports department of the school.

_SOUMA!_ He reaches out for his brightly colored folder on the wall, his decorated folder obviously different from his teammates' drab ones.

He rolls his eyes, he would never understand why they would ever choose to keep it such a boring nothingness, not that he cared enough to find out.

_Speed Station_, he scowls as he reads his station and, apparently, the only skill he ever needs help on. It seemed to him that the couches were trying to tell him that he wasn't good enough, that he had to be perfect. Even he, a jock and—apparently—the stupidest person in the school knew that nobody could possibly be perfect.

That's not to say he wouldn't try.

However, he doesn't let his smile break as he tips his folder upside down to make sure he didn't miss anything. At least, he doesn't until he reads a dark envelope with his last name sprawled across the middle like a death sentence.

He carefully rips it open and reads the first line, _Dear Souma Kukai_… Before quickly scanning the whole thing.

And, of course, feeling the overwhelming need to rip it into tiny undecipherable pieces while still attempting to narrow his surprised eyes and to purse his lips so he doesn't scream. _I don't like Utau!_ He denies half-heartedly, but can't help but agree with the letter. He reads the bottom, looking for a name. After all, anyone who knows this much personal information about him, information that he'd spent so much time trying to cover up from, not only the public, but also from himself.

But he finds no name. Instead, written like a signature at the bottom is The Broken.

He growls to himself, forcing himself to drag his feet to the Speed Station, no longer feeling the need to even pretend to by trying to be perfect.

The only thing floating in his thoughts wasn't the game, and he knew that this was bad. But he couldn't help it. _Who is the broken?_

With Tadase-

He parades into the school as the bell rings as though announcing his arrival with a smile plastered across his face. He sees girls swooning from the corner of his eye, knowing that he has to keep up this act if they were to keep this small moment of happiness for even a second.

He holds in a sigh, knowing that it would do no good for him to let them know just how unhappy he is.

"Tadase-kun!" His current girlfriend, Saaya, runs over to him, practically tackling him to the ground in a hug.

"Hi, Yamabuki-san," he tosses her a half-hearted smile before continuing to his seat, his throne. Girls part themselves as he walks, acting as though he were a movie star.

Yet, all of his acting like they mattered could never prepare him for the site of a letter on his chair. Frantically, he folds it and stuffs it into a pocket as he sits down, only for him to rocket back up. "Ah, I'll be right back!" He runs to the boy's bathroom, the only place he can actually get some decent privacy, and goes into a stall, locking the door behind him.

_Dear Hotori Tadase…_ He carefully reads every single word on the parchment. _Narcissist? Tools? Royal?_ His smile disappears, being replaced by a scared, wavering frown. Such harsh words, why would anyone wish to call him such things? What had he done this person? _The Broken_.

Who would possibly wish to do such a thing? He gets out of the bathroom before walking straight back to his chair. _Who is that broken?_

With Kairi-

He briskly enters the room, not even bothering to acknowledge the presence of other people in the room. Sitting down, he begins his daily exercise of reading student concerns.

_Not that anyone really cares_, he flicks open each letter. Every single concern and complain was amazingly self-absorbed. _More spending, stricter clothing, less strict clothing_, it was the same thing every single day.

Then he got something different, something just for him. _Sanjo_, his last name was on the front. He sucks in a breath, shocked, to say the least. His name was something he'd kept secret for as long as he'd been in school.

Scared despite himself, he opens up the envelope. _Dear Sanjo Kairi_, he reads through the letter methodically.

Why would anyone care about his personal information? He reads through the letter again before crushing it in his hand, knowing that his social life would be doomed if anyone was to read any of the letter.

Why would anyone want to do something to him? He'd selflessly served the student body so far this year. Was it because he was popular, while this person obviously wasn't?

He plunges his hand into the pile of letters, seeking refuge in the mundane complaints. _Who is the broken?_

With Nagihiko-

He pulls off his worn slippers before slipping on his famed basketball shoes. Another tiring practice left his bones aching, but a smile was stretched across his face.

Even more than basketball, he loved to flow in the air like water, a type of grace normally only given to girls. Although, basketball was as much of a gift to calm the nerves as dancing, he had always preferred the more girly movements.

Although, if anyone ever found out to what lengths he had gone to in order to dance freely, his social life would completely disappear.

Sighing, he pushes the door open, only to see a small piece of paper hiding under the door. _Fujisaki_, he smiles even wider at that someone knew how to spell his name correctly. Easily he opens the envelope so as to read this person's letter.

_Dear Nagihiko_, He reads through the letter, his smile quickly becoming a façade. _How could anyone find out?_ Panic fills his mind as he quickly looks around himself, as if making sure nobody is reading his letter. It's bad enough that anyone knew at all, if anyone could read it.

_What does The Broken have against me?_

With Utau-

She sits at her usual seat, looking at her untouched desk top. _Just the way I like it,_ she sighs happily. Last time someone touched her stuff, she hadn't been able to finally clean it for a month. It got to the point where no one was willing to come within a foot of her desk, let alone close enough to touch it.

_Just the way I like it_, she smiles to herself before noticing a small, dark envelope. _Okay, so not how I like it_, she glares at the intruding paper before grabbing it with the intention of ripping it to shreds.

Then the words at the top catch her notice, and she stops. _Hos-(WOOPS SORRY) Tsukiyomi_. Her heart seems to stop as she shudders, imagining the hordes of fans who would come close enough to read the words clearly printed on the letter.

Angrily, she rips open the letter, only dropping it to the ground in her fear. _Dear Tsukiyomi (Or was it Hoshina?) Utau,_ she picks the paper up again, looking at it as though not quite sure it hadn't been a dream. The words, the evidence, stare straight back up at her, and she curses her luck.

Just when she'd finally gotten a normal life, too! Someone had to take that away! _The Broken_, huh? _The Broken will figure out exactly what broken is if they let out my secret_.

With Yaya-

Hungrily, Yaya skips over to her locker. Imagine! All those poor kids who came to school with the sad idea that they wouldn't be able to eat food, only to figure out once they got here that food was coming to them anyway!

She giggles, loving the feeling that came with helping people. Although, she looks expectantly at her locker, she does hope that there was food in her locker today.

It had started at the beginning of the year, once she had come to school for a week with no food to eat. Since then, food had appeared in her locker every day. Now, most people would be suspicious when they see food randomly appearing places, but she wasn't about to ask for reasoning as to why she wasn't going hungry.

_Here it is!_ She sees the bag with her food in it, and her mouth starts to water. _Yummy! Wonder what it is today?_ She opens the bag up happily before seeing her favorite food.

_YUM!_ She looks up from her food, looking for her friends, but finds out that they were still waiting in their room. Shrugging, she dumps all of her food out of the bag, finding a letter with her food.

_Huh? _Confused, she opens the letter, guessing that she would get some answers but reading the letter.

_Dear Yuiki Yaya…_ She reads through the letter, allowing a picture to form in her head of what the letter was saying. _Was Yaya being too selfish?_

Completely broken, she reads the letter again and again. _How can someone be so mean, yet so nice at the same time?_ The paradox of the character writing to her was intriguing, and she found that she had a sort of sad smile on her face as she continued to stare blankly at the letter. _The Broken? Thank you… I suppose_.

"Yaya!" Her friends call to her, rushing with their food and mindlessly chatting with her, pushing any memory of the letter into the very back of their mind.

With Rima-

With a pout, she watches each of her fan-boys leave the room. They wave to her, announcing "See you tomorrow, Rima-san!" Before turning the corner and leaving her to clean the bookshelf alone, again.

She feels like kicking the shelf, although she knows that nobody really cares enough about her to stay long enough to help her clean the stupid book case after school.

_Stupid bookcase. I wish it could die,_ she growls at the shelves, pulling random books off in an attempt to make it look cooler, _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid,_ she repeats in her mind, throwing each book down.

_I wish this thing could go die, in a whole_, she scowls as she picks one of the heaviest books up off of the shelf, dropping it abruptly onto the floor.

A letter falls where it used to be. She doesn't even look amused, but still pulls the envelope off of the shelf and into her hands. _Might as well, it only gives me another reason to procrastinate on this…_

_Mashiro_, the letter was obviously for her, seeing as it was on one of the bottom shelves. _Why do people always think I'm so short!_ She mumbles under her breath about 'stupid profiling b…' before ripping the letter open in her anger.

_Dear Mashiro Rima_, she reads through the whole letter. _I don't need a friend_, she growls. _Why would I need a friend?_ She throws the letter to the floor, dropping book after book onto the fragile paper, trying to make it disappear. _I don't! I don't need anybody!_

She lets the books all pummel the paper, flattening it and breaking it and altogether destroying the original shape. _I-_ she feels water falling down her cheeks, knowing that they're tears.

It doesn't help that she was always afraid of people taking advantage of her. She's used to people leaving. It's no use to pretend that they stay.

Despite all this, she finds herself sobbing.

With Ikuto-

He glares at the pile of confessions as though willing for them to dwindle away into nothing beneath his glare. Sometimes, he wonders why he ever even reads the useless papers, knowing that they only repeat the same thing over and over again anyway.

Letter after stupid pink letter, he pulls open every envelope with a twitching eye, his patience for these stupid things quickly dwindling into nothing. It's not like he wants to read these things, but despite himself he feels himself hoping that one of these letters was from a friend of his, that one of these letters was important.

But none of them were. He was still just reaching into a pile of useless nothings for other useless nothing but useless girls who don't have anything better to do than write these useless letters.

Nothing ever changes, yet he's still the stupid one still sitting there in an attempt to find something worth reading.

Suddenly, he opens a letter, and a darker envelope falls out. He feels a paper riddled with drawn hearts fall down, but only picks up the dark envelope and rips that open instead.

_Dear Tsukiyomi Ikuto,_ he reads through the whole letter, only having his smile growing wider and wider, but at the same time feeling a pain intruding at his chest. _That bad, then?_ He smirks at the letter, throwing the rest of them into a trash can.

_The Broken…_

**~*Back to Amu*~**

I smirk, seeing each of their reactions throughout the day only made my mood get better and better. Even after school, I don't have to pick Ami up! It's amazing, how good it feels to finally get back at them.

After all they've done, actually all they've forgotten to do. It's wonderful to know that I still know how to grab their attention if I really need to.

When I get home, Ami is still at her after school modeling class, and my parents are still fawning over her there, so I have the whole house to myself.

I hold in a sigh, deciding that not voicing my sadness would only make it seem less real. Instead, I grab a pen and a lined piece of paper and start to write, ignoring my homework.

_Dear Hinamori Ami…_

**KYAAAAAAAAA! Twenty-four reviews o-o**

**If you guys keep this up, I'm going to go crazy trying to update every day :)**

**Heh, you guys seriously are awesome :D**

**Now to do my homework… heh**

**Will update soon**


	4. Chapter 4

_So you look to me with faded eyes_

_And ask me why oh why you cry_

_Yet you sit and stare_

_At the opposite walls so bare_

_You act like a mirror of fake people you see_

_It's a wonder, you've been every one freely_

_But yourself, in a moment of weakness_

Dear Hinamori Ami,

H~E~Y! That's spells _hey_, in case you didn't know. As in a greeting, a synonym for 'Hi' and an antonym for 'Bye'. Just in case you didn't know. After all, I've been told that you are severely lacking in the language arts department. (Okay, from now on, every 'complicated' word will be put into parenthesis so you don't get too confused. You're welcome)

I figure that's because there are no 'English' teachers gone cheerleaders, now are there. I guess that's why you're so stupid and **idealistic** (dreaming) and **self-absorbed** (egotistical) : you can't help a stereo-type. You're one of those weak types of people who** succumbs** (gives in) to the** ridiculous** (stupid) 'They're a _ so they must be _'s of even more** retarded** (stupid, again) students of the same school who are stereo-typed into **incongruous **(absurd) groups of people they aren't even **similar to** (like).

And _then_, you ignore people you used to be friends with, because they're too **unique** (Weird, in your words) to be seen with you and your incredibly **barely-tolerable **(ordinarily stupid) **posse** (group of incredibly stupid girls, usually with even more stupid little dogs). And no, I do not mean to say that I hate little dogs. Actually, it seems that they specifically breed 'posse' dogs, which are pretty much the stupidest being in the universe.

Next to you, of course. I know, you were almost incredibly offended. I mean, with that incredible **scoff **(a ridiculous look that, honestly, only makes you look uglier) on your face, you must've been nearly **appalled** (disgusted) at that statement. But no. That place is reserved for you.

Alas, I have more important things to do than to continue to insult your stupidity because, frankly, that would take way too much time. Time that I, for one, should be using to do **homework **(graded work that teachers give students to do at home. Usually for a grade. Also, you should try to finish it sometime, it actually helps you not to fail) right now.

**Furthermore** (In other news), it seems you have a sister. **Gasp** (Deep inhale of breath, usually in shock). **Shock** (Surprise). **The horror**(You know, that feeling that you get when you realize that you forgot about your lipstick in your backpack, and now it is so smashed that you can't get it out without, wait for it, breaking a nail. Oh no! Whatever shall you do?)! Did you forget about her while staying with your posse?

Did you know that I have a younger sibling, too? That kid, they're **my world** (my everything, everything important). I don't know what I'd do if they followed in **your footsteps** (the path of becoming a selfish jerk who only cares about popularity), because I can't spend even on day without their smile.

I **shiver** (an involuntary action, often showing fear or discomfort or chills) at the **thought** (an object that brains usually have the ability to create).

The Broken (Family)

_I don't ask much_

_But I ask you this_

_That if you turn around_

_In a moment of pain_

_That you don't know_

_Who I am_

_Or what you've done_

_And all you can do is_

_Run away_

_As you've always, always done_

I smile at the letter, pulling it into an envelope before pasting a label with our shared last name, Hinamori, on it. Obviously nobody knows that this is a shared name, but I don't necessarily have the need to share this fact to the rest of her school.

My backpack is on the floor near my bedside, but I don't really want to open it up and do my homework. _I should, though_, reluctantly I pull the bag onto my lap and start on the annoying creation that is the torture called 'homework' so as to deter unaware parents from the horrible truth.

This is going to be a long and annoying night.

**~*Morning*~**

I run down the stairs ready to go to school before my alarm even rings, but find the house empty.

_Today, then?_ I roll my eyes, seeing my sister's backpack dropped in the middle of the floor, untouched since last night, with a note written on the kitchen counter.

_Ami—Practice_

_ Back later_

_ Stuff- Home_

I sigh, reading the haphazard note that they'd left me. It seemed like my parents almost forgot to write it, as the pen was practically thrown across the room. I could imagine them yelling to Ami to 'Hurry up before Amu wakes up!' as though my consciousness would really stop them from going.

I know better, though. They couldn't care less if I was waving them up or tied up in a sewer with nothing but wire to keep me there. They'd leave me all the same.

I don't bother eating breakfast, besides a fruit that I grab on my way to the door. Sitting in the car, I don't even bother to turn on the radio, let alone blast the music at deafening volumes.

After all, it's a different kind of silence that stalks me in the car today. Today, it's that kind of silence that follows you no matter where you go no matter what you are planning to do. The kind of silence that just doesn't want you to have a tolerable time, that just seems to be hanging over your shoulder, poking you incessantly as though you were to forget its existence for even a little bit.

And then, just when you're feeling in place, or comfortable in the least, in breathes down your back, whispering 'You're all alone' in the way that gives you no choice but to believe the harsh words. It's not like I don't want to be rid of this silence. It's that noise just doesn't seem to get rid of loneliness. Only people do, and I've always had a problem with those.

I arrive to school right as the bell rings today. This time, what people call rush hour in traffic or, in, high school, 'OMG, get-out-of-the-way-for-the-way-too-unimportant-and-cocky-popular-kids-to-get-through-now!' time.

Needless to say, I try pushing my way through the parting herd of kids. I receive harsh glares as people shove me back but, nonetheless, let me through.

"Rima-CHAN!" As usual, a large herd of fan-boys swoon together as the funny girl herself walks into school. She doesn't even spare them a glance, as she usually does to keep their support, only looking to the floor in an attempt to hide her… are those tears?

No sooner do I see these wonders of the universe than I get shoved straight into her, nearly knocking her over at the force that sent me tumbling.

"Hey! Watch out!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Move you freak!"

Screams bombard my ears, shouting at me for falling into their fragile princess. They screech at me, scream at me, they sound about ready to tear me straight to pieces.

I stand up, looking straight at funny girl with a smile spreading across my face. "Are you okay, Princess?" I can't keep off the sarcastic drawl in my voice, instead grinning at her with my ever-growing smile as she tries to glare back at me without actually looking at my face.

"Of _course_," she almost stutters, catching herself and masking it with a stumble in her step, causing her fan-boys to scream at me more, not that I pay any attention to their useless banter.

"Then you wouldn't mind me walking you to your next class then, would you?" I tilt my head with the question, daring her to admit that she would rather be alone right now. After all, this is the girl who loves to be followed around by boys so that she doesn't have to carry anything.

She obviously notices this, growling and mumbling under her breath before curtly nodding her head and briskly walking away. "If you can keep up," she calls back to me, already reaching the end of the hallway.

_You have no idea_, I rush to keep up with her, heading to _our_ first class of the day, History. Not that the funny girl knows that she is in my class. Not that funny girl has ever realized that her classes do not revolve around the useless little pretty girl known as Mashiro Rima.

_You have to realize this first, Rima-chan_, I think to myself before looking to the board of useless information that I'm about to forget.

"Now class…" Sensei starts off on a lesson about some useless war that, frankly, I couldn't care less about. After all, all the people in it are already dead. Mostly because of said war. They can't really complain if the teacher doesn't teach about the dead anyway.

So, naturally, I just let my mind wander instead. _Math is next, isn't it?_

Math with Souma Kukai and Hoshina Utau. Oh, joy! Lucky me!

… Someone kill me. Like, now.

**~*Math Class*~**

"Okay class," the teacher drones with the most annoyingly scratchy voice possible for a seventy-year old teacher to have (even though she herself was only about thirty). "Today you guys will be assigned a group project, and a group."

Collective groans fill the room, students visibly sagging and glaring across the room as if to say 'If I'm stuck with you, I _am_ killing you' before shrinking into their chairs. At the same time, people look to their friends as if betting how different their groups would be, or on what people would be placed with which.

"Souma Kukai," the teacher calls, before looking about the room expectantly to see the girls jumping up in their seats as though that would increase the likelihood of their getting called. _Shallow b…_

"Hoshina Utau," The many girls visibly sag, boys pushing themselves further into their seats before the teacher looks up, "And one more."

It's a zoo. So many people rocket out of their chairs with stars practically in their eyes, hope causing the room to glow in their expectation.

"Hinamori Amu," I laugh to myself at how very cliché this group is. The guy, the girl he has a crush on, and the girl who happens to be blackmailing the both of them their deepest darkest secrets that they would literally kill me for letting out, if I let them out.

_Okay, never mind, not so cliché_, I laugh in my head, again.

The teacher finishes the groups, telling us that we'll be working together in class tomorrow, but this and three other days are all we have, so we should probably exchange phone numbers if we are willing to actually work to obtain a good grade on this.

Let's go over the stereo-types here, shall we? The popstar and the jock, neither rumored to be very smart, and the unimportant nobody who, generally, is just unimportant in all things that she does.

Umm, no, sorry unimportant teacher. This is so not happening.

"So," Kukai looks at both of us (Actually, only me, as he seems to be avoiding Utau's gaze) expectantly, "Are we going to exchange emails or what?"

"WHAT?" Utau and I chorus, our shock clearly printed across our faces as he sheepishly scratches at his neck.

"Well, yeah. We don't want to fail this, do we," he flashes us (again, me) a grin before writing two copies of his email on a strip of paper before ripping it in half so we each have a copy. "So, you giving me yours?"

Utau and I look at each other. Imagine that! Tough girl Utau and unimportant me, _looking_ at each other to decide whether or not our group member had officially gone crazy, as he'd just broken a stereo-type that he'd seemed so accustomed to keeping true to.

In the end, we both write down our emails for him and for each other, too, though. However, when we leave class, all memories of the nice encounter are erased with a pointed glare.

And, of course, my remembering that my next class is orchestra, as in string orchestra. As in the only class that I have with Tsukiyomi Ikuto, who I haven't seen for a while because we had been split into separate sections for teaching since the beginning of school.

As in the boy who I'd love to not see again for the rest of my pitiful existence.

As in 'SOMEBODY FLIPPIN HELP ME!'

And here I thought orchestra was fun.

**Heh, 38 reviews o-o**

**THANKS MUCH! And today is Valentine's Day *heart***

**As a result of my completely forgetting until now –gets shot-, I say happy V-Day to you people!**

**And, also, I tell you that if you guys want to, you can PM me or review and I'll have an extra chapter or something of letters from 'The Broken' To you guys!**

**It doesn't matter who it is: it can be an OC, yourself, or someone you know ;) And I'll write a letter (I honestly don't care what kind of info you give: personality is fine x3)**

**(Looks at review count) You know what would make me really happy? 50 reviews! :D**

**That's not to say I won't update if I don't get it, but I'd be really happy to ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

The orchestra room is dark, plain, and spacious. Chairs thrown every which way as though, not a tornado, but a crowd of reckless teenagers had gone rampaging through the room. _Gee_, imagine if that were to actually happen! It would be a mess!

Actually, never mind. That is what happened.

"Class, separate into your sections!" Our unorganized teacher, Nikaidou Yuu, yells above the chatting kids so that we could actually get out of this unorganized blob and into a semi-organized herd. He stands up tall, so his messy brown hair can be seen by the whole class, as everyone reluctantly parts from their friends to go to their instrument areas.

Except me, because I don't seem to be doing too well in the 'friend' department, so I just stood there in my instrument section as everyone else dragged themselves to their respective places.

_This_ is a string orchestra: a mess of somewhat-intelligent people forced into a room with hollow wooden instruments together with sheet music that they're supposed to read together. If it works out well enough, we play with more band instruments and make a whole symphonic orchestra. However, that doesn't seem too likely.

Why? Well, our concertmaster, first chair first violin, is, of course, the best in the orchestra. Also, he's much better than even the second chair first violin.

But that's not what makes it so unlikely that we'll ever do well enough to make a whole symphonic orchestra. What makes it practically impossible is the fact that _this_ concertmaster is the Tsukiyomi Ikuto. As in, the annoyingly perverted Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

As in, why did I join orchestra again?

Right, because I play viola.

"Well," Nikaidou clears his throat to get everyone's attention, "as you all know, we have to have a quartette playing at our next recital."

The amounts of murmurs going throughout the room prove him otherwise, and he visibly droops.

"Well, we have to have a quartette playing at our next recital, so I've chosen the group already based on your average chairs, meaning the top two violins, top viola, and top cello will all be playing together…" he draws out the rest of his words nervously, knowing that nobody was actually listening to a word he had been saying.

Anyway, as I was saying, I had no choice in being in orchestra, because I play viola.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto and Hotori Tadase are the violinists,"

And, as everyone knows, this orchestra always has a shortage of violas.

"Fujisaki Nagihiko is the cellist,"

And that's a problem, because that means that all of the violas suck except for the top one, as in—

"And Amu Hinamori is the violist."

Yeah, as in the unimportant nobody of a freakish loser in high school: me. Joy to the world, we're all doomed.

"Please meet to choose your music in the back if I called your name," Nikaidou demands in the way that only a jumpy, nervous, and not-at-all demanding teacher can.

The four of us all walk over to the corner dejectedly, obviously because this is simply the stupidest idea that the teachers have ever had. That, and I've been put into two groups full of popular kids in one day. Hello? Grounds for murder in high school, much. These teachers obviously have it in for me.

"So," the first to speak up is girly-boy Fujisaki Nagihiko, "What type of music do you guys want to play?"

A shrug, an 'I don't know', and an ignoring person later, Nagihiko rolls his eyes, but says nothing about our wonderful attitudes. "You know we have to choose before Nikaidou comes over here," he looks to us, as though that would get us to work.

Ikuto, who was the one who had seemed to be ignoring Nagihiko, just chuckles. "As if he'd actually do anything," he taunts. It was a challenge, as though 'wait and let's see who's right' was what he was actually saying.

This gets Tadase to speak up. "Of course he would do something! We have to choose our piece _now!_" Of course, Tadase, in any other circumstance, would be just as disbelieving as Ikuto in Nikaidou's ability to actually discipline us in anyway. However, he still seemed a little peeved at his being beaten by Ikuto in violin.

Ikuto just shrugs, "You've seen him do something?"

The two of them continue bickering, wait, never mind. Tadase continues to bicker with a non-compliant Ikuto as Ikuto himself just sits there, shrugging, uninterested. I shake my head, it didn't take them too long to forget that I existed.

"So, you're Hinamori Amu?" I snap my head over to look at Nagihiko as he smiles warmly at me, "I'm Nagihiko."

I nod, "Yeah, I know."

He doesn't look too shocked at that, only laughing slightly, "I've seen you around before. I don't think I'd be able to forget you, pink hair, right?"

I just raise an eyebrow at him, before laughing to myself. "You'd be surprised."

He just grins, not noticing the weight of the words I said as he motions to the other two of our group and starts to make jokes about the two of them. He makes me grin, too, almost as though the two of us were in our own place of the orchestra.

"Hey!" Suddenly, Tadase looks to the both of us, "You two are part of this group as well!"

Funny boy looks like he's about to say a rebuttal, but I just raise an eyebrow at Tadase, "I don't know, the way you were pointedly ignoring us told us otherwise."

"We weren't ignoring you," someone whispers into my ear. Even if I couldn't feel the blood rushing to my face and turning it red, I would've been able to tell that I was blushing.

"I think you were," I stumble slightly over my words, noticing how very close he is. I then turn to glare at him. "Now, if you'd mind, I don't appreciate it when people invade my personal space."

He just pouts, obviously acting, before turning back to everyone else, "You can choose the piece, I don't care," he tells us, walking off.

_Jerk_, I stare at his retreating back.

"So…" Tadase starts, gathering Nagihiko and I back together to discuss the piece right before the bell rings for the next class to begin.

Next class is math which, apparently, is also the second most boring class of all the boring class in the universe. The most boring has yet to be discovered, but I assure you, it is very boring.

Anyway, math class is, in fact, boring. Yet, at the same time, easy. I mean, who can't get the concepts of where to plug in information that has practically been thrust at you? It's the easiest sort of thing possible.

"Hinamori! Get over here!" Or, at least, it would be easier if it weren't for the teacher. Meet Yukari Sanjo, ridiculously beautiful and ridiculously strict. Also, Sanjo Kairi's (secret) sister.

"Yes Yukari-sensei," I drone, dragging my feet to her desk so she wouldn't yell at me further.

"Sanjo," I wonder how weird it is for her to yell her own last name like that, "Yuiki, you too."

The three of us stand in front of her as she scrutinizes us in silence. At once, the feeling to do something wrong spread through my body, because I knew that if I did so then I would no longer have to actually stand her. Only, I would be sent to the office. But, hey, anything is better than this.

"The three of you," she gazes at each of us as though lining us up for execution, "are my best students."

Yaya barely holds back a gasp as she stares at a teacher. I can tell, she's surprised, even wondering if Yukari was alright, because she was complimenting us.

"And so, I'm here to ask you three to tutor some kids in need of help," the way she says it, it sounds like a statement more than a question. We each nod, Kairi somewhat reluctantly as his gaze turns into a glare when he meets his sister's eyes.

She just shrugs. "Decide amongst yourselves who you want to tutor."

Yaya immediately turns to the two of us. "Hi! My name's Yaya," she looks to Kairi, "And you're the class president, right?"

He rolls his eyes, "Correct, nice to meet you, Yaya-san. My name is Kairi," I notice how he leaves off his last name.

They look to me, obviously expecting me to add in my name. I nod at both of them, "Hinamori Amu."

"Nice to meet you, Amu-chi!" Yaya grins at me. "Is it alright if Yaya calls you Amu-chi? I want to, it seems right to call you Amu-chi!"

I nod, again. Sometimes, I wonder how such an ingenious girl could be so childish, but I guess attitude and intelligence are not completely intertwined.

"Okay, then let's look at these people!" Yaya looks at the page, "Huh? Why are there only two?"

Both Kairi and I look to the page, noticing ho she's right. "Alright, then I'm out," I mumble, beginning to walk away, but Yaya tugs on my sleeve.

"Yaya was kidding! You tutor with me," she grins at me, "Amu-chi will be my friend, right?"

I shrug, not bothering to take her words too seriously. After all, they always forget me. I'm forgettable, it's just who I am.

"Okay, well class is about to be over, so we've got to go to lunch. See you tomorrow, Amu-chi!"

This is how I know that she doesn't really care about me. I'm in her language arts class, the class right after lunch, meaning that I'll see her before tomorrow. Her and Nagihiko, and Kukai: so falsely nice. Yet, when you actually talk to them and wait a week or a month, or a year at most, they'll forget all about you. They'll forget about you and your name and your hair, that seems way too unique to forget anyway.

They'll manage to forget. It's just who they are.

I sigh, pulling myself to the lunch room, taking a seat in the middle of nowhere, by myself. Alone, I'm left with nothing but my mind, my lunch, and pen and paper. Like always.

But this time, I have some people to write to.

_Dear everyone (or everyone I've written to),_

_ Why put on such a façade? You act nice, yet there you are, pushing people around as if they were nothing, telling they were something and then forgetting them a moment later. Do you not notice how many of these people actually go to the same school, even the same classes as you?_

_ Do you not see how many of these people survive alone, without anyone to love, while you have so many? Yet there you sit, complaining as though you had everything going wrong in your life._

_ Do you want to know what's wrong in your life? What's wrong is that, for you, everything is going right. Yet here I am, and everything for me is going wrong. You hardly deserve it more than I, yet why am I the one who cries?_

_ The Broken (Reasons)_

I know nobody was watching, because I sit in a corner where nobody really cares enough to pay attention, because they're just as unimportant as the people they sit around, and because one of those people is me.

Well, yeah, you get it. They're pretty much lame additions to some story where the main character is someone who will forever in the spotlight.

Sad thing the spotlight only messes me up.

**KYA! Couldn't update yesterday D:**

**Had a Cross Country meet, went home, died of being so tired (yawn).**

**Well, yeah, will update soon!**

**OMG! Your reviews made me laugh! Thanks all of you guys! I know it was kind of selfish of me for wanting 50, but I've always wanted to get to the triple digits in a story, and that's halfway there!**

**:) I love you guys ;) … Okay, so not really, because that would be kind of weird, but you're still all pretty much the most epic people that I've yet to meet!**

**So I'm still writing those letters… ._. Yeah, and… just so you know… even though those OCs are for letters, they might be featured in the story**

**Give me a heads up if you don't want that, (actually, a heads up if you don't mind, too ;D)**

**Okay, so, thanks people.**

**Okay, I got some questions I'm sure a bunch of people want answers to in my reviews, so here you guys are!**

**VeronicaLover123:** Well, yes, Ami's letter was supposed to be meaner. Not only are the two related, but Ami obviously makes a conscious effort to ignore Amu. Nothing of such can be said for the others.

**The Broken (No one): **Well, it's not necessarily they don't recognize her. First of all, it never says she and Utau were friends. However, for Rima and Kukai: they were friends in primary and middle school. However, Rima forgot Amu in favor of keeping up a façade at school. Kukai got so absorbed in sports that he no longer thinks of those (or even sees those) that he doesn't interact with.

**OKAI I'm now finally going to upload this (even though, if you're reading this, it's obviously already been uploaded)**

**But I'm stalling. Because, once again, I've chosen not to do my homework. Yesh, I'm a genius.**

** Okay, going. See you all :) Hasta pronto Vds.**


	6. Chapter 6

Lunch is over before I actually finish even half of my lunch. Instead, I end with my hands covered with dots of ink where I wasn't paying attention and so poked myself with my stupid pen. Kids around me stall, loitering in the cafeteria before the teachers come and shoo everyone out.

That's not me, though. I just stand up and pick up my uneaten lunch so I can head out to the back of the room in hopes of sitting in the back of the classroom.

Why? Not because that's where all of the cool kids sit, because I've already established how very cool I am not. No, I like sitting in the back because, in that case, I can sleep away my boring time in class.

Why? Let's just say that class isn't necessarily my favorite place in the world to be, ever. I mean, really? English class? Hello, we're speaking English the whole class period, rather fluently might I add. So please, just put those many illiterate people into a whole or a dark room or some other place where they will never be seen again, and spare the rest of us the trouble of being stranded here for an eternity of boredom!

Which, actually, would only happen to be a few of us. It's amazing, if you think about it, how many of us are illiterate. And, when I say illiterate, I mean stupid enough to not be able to right or read a single paper correctly. Either that or they can, supposedly, read a whole book, yet they cannot read said book within a day for information.

What is happening to this world? I mean, the only people able to go somewhere with their lives are the unimportant nobodies who, by definition, cannot go anywhere with their lives. We're at a checkmate, here! Doomed!

Well, not really.

"Class," a teacher parades into the room, a bit tiredly, before looking to all of us, "because of your _unsatisfactory_ behavior, I've changed the seating." She says the word 'unsatisfactory' as though it was a curse, yet I doubt half of the class knows the meaning of the word. A collective groan fills the classroom as people silently pray that she'd forgotten about them and their friends, but everyone waves goodbye, because they know this isn't the case.

Although this mundane and repetitive teacher is rather boring and useless, she has a good memory. After all, she's remembered me for every day of the year. What else can one ask for?

Well, a lot, but that's beside the point.

"First row…" the teacher drones, letting kids moan as they gather all of their stuff up to relocate. "Second row: Tsukiyomi Ikuto…"

Welcome to reason two why I hate language arts.

"Yuiki Yaya,"

Reason three.

"Kairi,"

Four.

"Souma Kukai"

Five.

"Tsukiyomi Utau"

Six.

"Hotori Tadase"

Seven.

"Fujisaki Nagihiko"

Eight.

"Mashiro Rima"

Nine.

"And Hinamori Amu."

And… wait, what? Seriously, I'm quite sure these teachers have something against me and/or my sanity. Please, death seems kinder than this. Actually, continued torture and starvation seems immensely kinder than the continuation of this temporary torture.

I feel glares boring into my back as I pull my stuff off of my desk and take a seat next to funny girl. She looks at me eyes widening like 'hey, weren't you in my first class?'

Why, yes Rima-chan. I was in your first class. How did you know?

"Do I know you?" she looks to me as she asks that question. Um, no. No, you don't. Sorry.

I nod at her instead of speaking out loud. She readily expresses her immense gratitude of that action by completely ignoring me for the rest of the class.

It could, of course, be worse. A lot worse.

Suddenly, the bell rings, signaling for the end of school. _Finally_, I rush out of the classroom first of everyone. Nobody pays much attention to that, though. After all, now they're slowly heading out to their cars with their separate groups again, as though their leaving would also signify the start of chores and homework.

I hurry to my car with my backpack, practically sprinting to the small vehicle. _Freedom at last_! I turn the car into gear and hear the engine roar to life.

I drive out of the parking lot, but not before I tape a note to the back of a random person's car.

After all, if anyone else knows about this high school, then they know that everything that goes on only goes on if the popular people first know of it. Usually, it's if they approve, too. But, obviously, there are a few exceptions to the rule.

Like me.

I arrive home, and it's just as empty as I left it. I open the door with my key, seeing nothing in the darkness. I don't bother turning on a light, as I already know where everything is. I'm used to this, how sometimes no one will be home, how sometimes people are filming in our house, or sleeping, or packing, or entering our house. It happens all the time, so I know everything by heart. Every creaking wood plank, so I don't make a sound, every piece of furniture, so I don't crash, and every doorway.

So I don't walk in on anything. After all, the only room they have never been into is my room, because it's way too stupid and boring-looking and altogether unimportant.

Like everything about me, but that's beside the point.

The point is that I do all of this for my sister, that I'd do anything for my sister; that I'd do anything for a sister or a friend. Even if they forgot about me. Even if they don't care about me anymore or never cared about me or simply don't care enough about anything to care about themselves or anything unimportant like me.

"We're home!" My parents yell from downstairs as the downstairs lights up, revealing me standing still near the stairway.

"Hi," I don't bother asking them how Ami's lesson went today, because I know they'll tell me anyway.

"Well, Ami did really well, supposedly she's still the best and-"

"MOM! Where's my backpack?" Ami peers around the corner, obviously not really looking for her backpack, but for a way to steal any attention that I'm getting. "Never mind, found it," she disappears again around the corner before screeching.

"Mom! Get over here!"

Mom looks to me, "I'm sorry, but I've got to go see what's wrong." Mom doesn't wait for me to answer, instead rushing to Ami's side.

I sigh, rolling my eyes at her typical actions, before dragging myself to my own bathroom to take a shower.

_Another day gone_, I smile to myself as I turn on the shower, _only another day that I stay broken._

It's a wonder how nobody knows quite who the broken is. After all, it's only the unknown and the quiet people who take the most hurt and who take the most revenge.

Heh, revenge is a wondrous thing.

**Hi all! Here's another chapter for you guys ;) Sorry it's kind of short, I'll update soon, though!**

**70 REVIEWS! HOLY CRUD! :) I love you people!**

**Okay, so questions you people asked… actually I answered one of them in this chapter! **

**But, I suppose, now I'm getting a lot of 'why don't these people remember her?'**

**Well, here are my answers!**

**I already explained Utau, Kukai, and Rima.**

**I've been asked now about Kairi. Well… first of all, he doesn't have a crush on Amu, as far as I've mentioned. He has seen her around, but he is also the class president. Even though he remembers her from somewhere, he knows everyone from somewhere because he also does orientation and all school events.**

**So, Ikuto, then? No, he does not remember her. Ikuto is kind of introverted, even though he doesn't necessarily act like that. You don't see him ever with crowds of people he's talking to before, now have you? :)**

**Heh, thanks for the reviews! You keep it up, and I'll keep it up ;)**

**X3 Love you all, will update soon!**

**AND GUESS WHAT! I FINISHED MY HOMEWORK ALREADY!**

**PS: I realize that I accidentally put math twice, well the first class with the project is actually a science class. ._.**

**Mkay, bb all!**


	7. Chapter 7

Forget Me

I had the worst night sleep I'd had in a while that night. That kind of sleep that wrecks any possible chances of a good night's rest for all of a week or two, and then completely crushes any good feeling that might've possibly been left over.

The kind of night that just makes me keep reliving those memories that I'd wish I'd forget.

_"Hey! Hinamori!" A boy of no older than thirteen rushes over to me happily. I try turning away, or at least I would if I could. Instead, I can feel myself grinning back to the boy._

_ "Hey Kukai!" I laugh at him as he waves in my face before swatting my hand away._

_ Souma Kukai, when he was an eighth grader, was everybody's friend. However, he was mostly my friend. After all, we'd known each other since forever._

_ "Guess what!" He screams out the words that would normally be a question, but I know better. In fact, he doesn't even bother leaving more than a second of silence before he rushes off to continue, "I made the soccer team!" By the soccer team, he means _the_ soccer team, as in, the Seiyo High Varsity Soccer team... as in, the 'holy-cow-I-thought-he-would-die-before-making-it-there' soccer team._

_ I smile, happiness for him overwhelming my senses as he envelopes me in a great hug. "I made it! I made it!" he chants the words over and over again as we dance around in haphazard circles throughout the room._

_ Suddenly, he stops. "Hey, Hinamori?"_

_ "Yeah?"_

_ He looks sober, looking at me seriously for once. "Promise to come to every single game?"_

_ "Of course."_

_ And so I did, because that's what a good friend would do. I lived through every one of his goals and shots and misses and blocks. Every single one, I was there for. If he needed a friend, all he had to do was look up, and there I was._

_ Until he became team captain. Suddenly, he couldn't be bothered anymore. He'd look at me, sadly, and tell me, "Sorry, Hinamori. I've got work to do," and that would be that. I understood, of course. Nobody needs a no-good girl hanging around all the time, so I just forgave him every single time that I went. He'd look at me, apologetically, and say 'sorry'._

_ Well, it turns out sorry wasn't enough. At school, he started to ignore me. I'd wave at him in the hallways, but got nothing in return. Not a glance or a smile or a grin or a scream. Not a word._

_ I never took Souma Kukai as the type of person to drown in his work, yet there he was. It has always been enough for me to just have my one person, but he was ripped out of my grasp before I could do anything. Before I could even scream in terror or protest or glee. Before I knew what was going on._

_ Souma Kukai forgot about me, just as he'd forget my first name. I became 'that girl', to him. I became that nobody to everyone else, that person too unimportant for the famed team captain to hang out with anymore._

_ Until I met Mashiro Rima. Of course, she didn't seem to be too particularly popularity-prone at a glance. What, with her height 'problems' and dainty figure, one would believe that she'd be the subject of ridicule in a school._

_ I suppose that's why I went up to her. After all, I'd had my share of the strong and independent type of person. I'd already been left by one of those. It seemed only right that the opposite would stay, correct?_

_ Obviously, Mashiro Rima fit the bill. The first time I talked to her, she was standing beside a book case, alone._

_ "You're Mashiro Rima-chan, right?" I kept my voice level, as though any fluctuation of my tone would send her running away from me. Yet, she doesn't even turn to look at me._

_ This gets me mad, and so I just glare at her back as she continues to pull books methodically off the bottom shelves of the bookshelf._

_ "Hey!" I stay hushed, but still manage to yell at her, "I'm talking to you!"_

_ She turns to me, obviously annoyed. "I noticed," her voice is level without her even trying, unlike me who has to actually try to make my voice even stay remotely calm in any situation._

_ I sigh. "How did you get stuck with the bookshelf on the first day of school?" I wonder out loud, more to myself than to her. Of course, she gets offended by this and abruptly drops the book that she was holding to the floor, not that I notice that she's looking at me._

_ "I like books," she separates the words, biting. Her glare puts mine to shame, and I inwardly cringe, shuttering._

_ "So you wanted to?" I look to her, only sort of teasingly._

_ "Do you think anyone could force me into this?" She looks at me as though the answer was, 'duh, no,' but I know better. The teachers here in this high school are menacing, down-right terrifying._

_ "They could if they wanted to." I look out the window as she continues to pull books off of the shelf before looking to the top and sighing and muttering something about standing on a chair._

_ "You need help?" I look at her as she spins to look at me._

_ "No!" she denies before looking hopelessly at the books again as though mumbling 'maybe' to herself._

_ I take that as a 'yes'. "If you wanted some, you could've just asked," I mumble under my breath, walking over to the bookshelf and pulling the books off of the upper most shelves. "My name's Amu, by the way."_

_ A small smile seems to ghost its way across her delicate face, before she turns away. "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I'd be lying."_

_ I giggle, because, somehow, I knew that that was as close as she'd ever get to actually admitting to enjoying my presence. For the record, that's good enough for me._

_ We were the best of friends, or as best of friends as a cold and guarded girl could ever be, for a while. All throughout freshman year, we stayed together, until Rima got a phone call one day when we were just out at the mall._

_ She'd been impatiently tapping her foot on the floor as I shifted through the clothing rack._

_ "Hurry up," she'd childishly demanded as she glared at the floor, doubtlessly trying to burn holes into the ground before I finished._

_ "I'm trying, Rima-chan, just wait a bit," I stuck my tongue out at her before pulling out a shirt, "So, how does this look."_

_ "Fine," she fails to even look up from the ground as I sigh at her typical Rima-like actions._

_ "Come _on_, Rima-chan! We're at a mall! We don't shop by staring at floors," I pout, pulling on her arm. "Now, try it on!" I push her towards the booths used for trying on clothes when her phone rings, an unknown number displayed across the top._

_ "I've got to take this," she mumbles before putting the phone to her ear and stalking off. She never did come back. The next day at school, when I asked her what happened, she'd just glare at me._

_ "Don't talk to me again," she didn't bother to say my name, obviously trying to erase that and anything else she'd known about me. I became, once again, just another shadow._

_ Of course, for some, I was always just another shadow. He was the class president, the well known leader of the school. Always, _always_, he'd lend an open ear to the seemingly-mundane requests of his fellow students, and he'd do so without complaint._

_ Meet Sanjo Kairi. He has, believe it or not, always been the class president, even in middle school when I transferred over here. In fact, he was the one forced to introduce me to the class. The principal had been the one to introduce the two of us._

_ "Tsukasa, the new student is here," the secretary had announced to a blonde middle aged man as he looked up to me._

_ "Good, your guide should be here soon. You're Hinamori Amu, I suppose," he looks at me before looking down at a file containing all of my information in his hands. "Yes, Hinamori Amu."_

_ He smiles at me heartwarmingly before looking to the door. "Would you be so kind as to let our class president in?"_

_ I nod at him before opening the door ever-so slightly so as to let some weird-looking kid in. He had green hair and gleaming glasses, the pure definition of a nerd._

_ "Yes, Tsukasa?" He addresses the principal as formally as the secretary had, before he looks at me as though only seeing me now._

_ "This is the student you'll be showing around the school, I expect that you'll be kind to her?" He looks to Kairi, obviously expecting an answer, only earning a nod in response._

_ So he does show me around the building without fail, waving every so often to a girl with a video-game backpack or a boy with grand braces. He seemed the equivalent of a celebrity, to nerds._

_ "I hope you'll enjoy your stay, Hinamori-san," he bows to me before turning away._

_ "You know, Amu-chan is fine, Kairi-kun," I roll my eyes at him before flicking my wrist at him in a way to say good-bye. "But, I'll try."_

_ He flashes a hesitant smile my way before scurrying off to wherever he had come from._

_ Before even that, I met Ikuto._

**Heh, want to update today, so this is what I give you! The next will have some minor Amuto, lol. Yes, these next few chapters are actually supposed to explain some things.**

** Gasp! Me! Explaining! Oh no!**

**But, seriously, I thought I needed to explain some things for you guys, so here you are! How they met, why they forgot. Everything. Of course, if there was nothing to forget, then they didn't really forget.**

** Everyone else will be in the next chapter, which hopefully won't be just a big and lame flashback like this one.**

** Despite that, would you guys mind getting me to the triple digits? Pretty please? With sugar on top? :)**

**Thanks for reading! x3 **

**I'll update soon, promise. (Lol, this would be longer if I hadn't gone to the Symphonic Orchestra today, but, hey, it was fun ;)) **


	8. Chapter 8

_The teacher looks to the doorway as most people chat amongst themselves. Not me, though. I'd lived here my whole life, but I'm nothing special. It's those kids that move here that make something of themselves._

_ He's a bit preoccupied as he keeps glancing at the door. "We have a new student today…" he says, unsure if the words he says are the right ones._

_ But it's enough. The whole class shushes into a deep silence that slowly drives me crazy. Of course, it's not just that, but how much of an upper hand this kid had, when compared to me. After all, he has yet to show his face, but he's already a celebrity._

_ "Please welcome," the teacher looks at the door, as though it holds the name of the kid in broad letters, but it doesn't so he guesses, "Tsukiyomi Ikuto?"_

_ The door swings open, only to show an annoyed-looking boy, standing still with absolutely no interest shown in his face._

_ "Yo," he rolls his eyes as girls swoon, not even bothering to say any more words._

_ The teacher looks at a completely loss, before he opens his mouth again. Then closes it. Then opens it again, before finally speaking, "Ummm, please sit next to Hinamori Amu," then he looks at me as though telling me to 'raise my hand'._

_ I do, if not reluctantly, earning a sneaky grin from the boy. He walks up to me before sitting down next to me. For a few minutes, everything stays silent as he just stares to the front of the classroom. Then, people start to talk, and the room erupts into amazed noise. The teacher looks at our class as though deciding that it wasn't worth the trouble to attempt to tame us, instead resigning himself to reading a book at his desk._

_ "So, pink hair, then?" A teasing voice interrupts my thoughts._

_ I look to the person next to me, annoyed. "So, blue hair, huh?" I mock him, sticking my tongue out at Tsukiyomi._

_ "Yeah, jealous?" He was smirking, by then, a kind of reserved happiness hiding within the darkness of his eyes, as though he were afraid of getting close to someone._

_ "Who would be," I narrow my eyes at him, before pointedly staring back at the front of the classroom. I let myself believe that I could successfully ignore him, so I just sit there, playing with my fingers as I inwardly demand for the clock to hurry up before I killed someone._

_ I cringe as a chuckle interrupts my malice-filled thoughts. "Obviously? You." Then he stops, as though thinking to himself, "What was your name again?"_

_ I swerve in my chair, my eyes glare-ready as I stared at him, him and his stupidity. "Hinamori Amu," I answer him out of my inner amount of immense kindness, before mumbling "jerk" under my breath._

_ The stupid jerk himself hears me, though. "Tsukiyomi Ikuto," he pokes me, waiting to get another response out of me._

_ I give him one: a growl, expecting him to shy away. He doesn't, though. All he does is cockily sit up and blow into my ear, earning an ear-splitting scream on my part._

_ Then the room goes quiet, every single pair of eyes in the room trained on the two of us, including the angered teacher._

_ "Tsukiyomi Ikuto," his voice is firm, for once, as he stares at the perverted jerk of a boy while Ikuto himself just stares out of a window lazily, "Hinamori Amu," he surprises me by knowing my name and saying it with a venom-like deadliness before he continues, "Report to the principal's office immediately."_

_ I don't shiver, or anything like that. Actually, neither does Tsukiyomi. Strangely choreographed, the both of us shrug and get up from our seats to head to the door and out of the silent room._

_ "Jerk! Look where you got us now!" I try acting mad, even though I sort of expected to end up in the principal's room some time during this day._

_ He, surprisingly, reads right through me, only scoffing playfully. "Yeah, sure. I'm sure you're quite well acquainted with that order."_

_ I hardly notice how he specifies 'that order' and not the action. "I'm sure you've gone there every day!" I shoot back at him, mostly because he seems the type of person to fall asleep in class, completely uncaring as to whatever the teacher happened to be droning on and on about every single day._

_ He only smirks, again. "Never been to a principal's office in my life," he playfully drags a finger across his chest, crossing his heart._

_ "Really? Where're you going now, then?" I look at him as though he were completely crazy, but he just turns to me with that annoying smirk still quirking his lips._

_ "Not to the office, that's for sure," he only pulls slightly on my sleeve, quickly veering me off of my normal path, towards the door. "You coming?"_

I suppose that that's where my whole life completely strayed off line, because everything soon got thrown offline after that. Ikuto was my first friend, before even Kukai, whom I always pretend was my first friend.

And after that, he became my first…

Actually, I think that it's best to just show you than to tell you.

_It was a year after I'd first met Ikuto, and so I was twelve. He was thirteen, and my best friend. My, absolutely positively best friend._

_ We'd just gotten kicked out of class again, and so we were quickly heading out of the building._

_ "Really? Asleep _again_?" I cluck my tongue as he just shrugs his shoulders._

_ "I was tired," he defends himself as we swing the doors open to freedom._

_ I stick my tongue out at him. "Imagine! Us, criminals!" I fake a gasp, "At the ripe age of twelve and thirteen!"_

_ He rolls his eyes, used to my behavior by now. "Really, Amu?" He suddenly leans down and bites my ear._

_ I blush beet red, even though I should be used to his teasing by now. "IKUTO!" I screech, even though I'm grinning at him._

_ We're standing right out of the door when I'm forced against the wall. At first, I was simply standing still, and then he has to go and push me into the wall!_

_ "So, _Amu_, what do you want to do today?" He leans really close to me, making me almost burn up because of his own body heat._

_ He leans closer and closer to me, before our lips finally meet. After that, we were nearly inseparable. I got introduced to all of his friends, including Souma Kukai. He met my family, under much of my protest, and actually was able to stick around after that._

_ Oh, in case you could never tell, we were going out. We became a sort of 'weird' couple of the secondary school, but I had an incredibly fun time all the while._

Of course, because it's me, that couldn't last. As it usually works, absolutely no things last in my life, and nothing can stop that from happening to me. Even though he'd always promise that he would never actually leave me alone. Such a liar.

_I was heading off to meet him at a café just down the street. This was something we'd do very often, and I was looking forward to seeing him again._

_ On the way, I got a phone call from the hospital, asking if I was Hinamori Amu. I, of course, said yes, and suddenly the person on the other end kept repeating, 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry,' as though it would make whatever bad news was coming my way less horrifying._

_ I just wanted the information, so I told them to spit it out, but they hesitated. It took me demanding whatever information they held for five minutes before they would tell me, but then I wished they did._

_ He was in the hospital. On the way to where he was going, he'd been hit by a car. I didn't know what to do, but I knew that I couldn't cry. I was completely silent as I turned around and headed to the hospital. _Ikuto_._

_ I'd never seen him so helpless, as when he was laying there in the hospital that night. I'd never needed him more. Yet, he was still there, dead to the world._

_ What could I do? I waited there every single day for a while, until he woke up. He looked at me with those eyes I knew so well, yet he didn't see _me_ at all. He saw some weird girl with pink hair who just so happened to have walked into the room that he was being held in._

_ Call me weak, call me pitiful or lame or the like, but I couldn't take it. A while after, we moved, and Kukai came with us. He said, he'd told me that he couldn't take it either. To him, staying here without his best friend was as killing as staying there where his best friend had lived and then died. In a sense, I suppose he had died._

I wake up with a start, immediately looking around the room to make sure everything was still in their rightful places. The memories I'd tried to forget played over and over again in the back of my mind. I would cry, but my tears had long ago been dried up.

Instead I smile. I~Ku~To.

I'd never been the type of person to just let it go, now have I?

**Heh, I lied ._. This was only explaining Ikuto.**

**Whatever. **

**ANYWAY! 100! I got to 100! OMG! I love you people muches!**

**Anyway, got to go. Goodbye. Read, review, enjoy. Not necessarily in that order.**


	9. Chapter 9

I pull myself out of bed, quickly getting ready, alone again. I know that last night my sister had found my note, but I'm not quite sure how she'd reacted to it.

I sigh. It's none of my business, what she thought, anyway. Not like she actually thinks, because that would be stretching it by quite a bit. Actually, I doubt she even completely read through more than the first half of the letter.

I write the note today, because their shoes are still sitting there, untouched, at the front door. Obviously, they'd had to come here not too long ago.

_School_, I write quickly, my handwriting short and precise so I don't have to do any more. I just put a handful of food into my mouth, unidentifiable food nonetheless, and head to the doorway.

The car ride is long and lonely, as usual. Yet, unlike usual, I find myself pushing my consciousness into the back of my mind, day dreaming while still managing to successfully navigate to school.

A song comes on the radio, and I recognize the lyrics right away. "_She's not a saint, and she's not what you think, she's an actress!"_ This song is 'Better Than Revenge', by Tsukiyomi, or Hoshina, Utau.

Actually, it was one of her debut songs, and the only one she'd dedicated to someone in particular. You know, yours truly, even though she didn't know my name.

I remember seeing her on the television, before Ikuto's accident. We were just lounging around on the couch, occasionally stealing a kiss (or two) while completely ignoring the TV buzzing behind us.

_"Hey _Amu_," he looked at me sort of innocently, yet the mischievous gleam in his eye outshone any possible innocence._

_ "Hi Ikuto," I roll my eyes at him before snuggling a little closer to his chest. "Don't move," I mumble to him before closing my eyes._

_ But, of course, he has to ignore me and so bends down to nibble on my ear affectionately. "Whatever you say, Amu-_koi_," he mumbles into my ear, even though he'd already made my face flush in embarrassment._

_ "Ikuto!" I whine as he just smiles/grins and looks down on me, "Don't say such embarrassing things!" I almost pout, but I know that he'd just use it as an excuse to pull me closer, so I face the other way._

_ "Amu-koi," he whines, not pulling my face to look at him, but instead placing his nose where he can completely bury his face in my neck._

_ I was about to pull him off, but get interrupted by the TV._

_ "_And here we bring you one of the newest idols, Hoshina Utau!_" An announcer enthusiastically looks to his left, as though looking for said idol._

_ Ikuto lightly tugs at the skin on my neck, gaining my attention again._

_ Exasperated, I sigh. "Ikuto! I'm trying to watch!"_

_ He pouts, but obediently sits up and pulls me into his lap so he can bury his face in my hair. Content, we both listen to the television._

_ "_Here she is! It's said she has the body of a model! The gorgeous, yet so untouchable, Hoshina Utau!_"_

_Where we can see, a girl with two pulled up pigtails struts up to the middle of the room, only scoffing as the announcer holds out a hand for her to take. Taken aback, the announcer looks at her in shock before continuing, "Umm, so here she is?"_

_ The only acknowledgment she gives him is a curt nod before she looks straight to the screen with clear malice._

_ I flinch into Ikuto, making him look at me curiously. "What's wrong Amu? It's just my sister." Of course, I already knew that. Ikuto had enough embarrassing pictures of his traveling sister that I could point her out in a crowd in the dark, but I still let shock briefly cover my face._

_ "I don't know, feels like she's glaring at me," I mumble, slightly embarrassed because of how very stupid I sound._

_ Yet, Ikuto chuckles in the way that only Ikuto can that makes me feel a lot better about my stupid question. "Yeah, she does that to people," he just shakes his head before we go back to watching TV._

_ "_So, I heard you wrote your debut song for someone?_" The announcer was asking her, "_What was it, 'Better than Revenge'?"

_ She grins, sort of sadistically, yet still somehow manages to let out an 'I'm-so-bored-so-please-kill-me-before-I-kill-myself' vibe. "_Yep_," she looks innocently up at the announcer, yet it's hard to miss her killing intent._

_ "_Would you care to tell me who?"_ The announcer seems unfazed, probably because of his being used to the countless other easily angered celebrities that had already been on the show. Instead, he looks to Utau expectantly, as though he'd already known that Utau would answer._

_ "_Well, there's a guy I like…"_ I can hear the gushing audience in the background. I look to Ikuto, as though he'd know the answer, but he absolutely refuses to tell me, only shrugging as though saying 'wait and see!'._

_ So I do, and receive what had, at the time, been the shock of my life. "_But he recently just got a girlfriend_," the crowd reacts immediately in sympathy to the poor star. Some people scream out about how 'they'll kill whoever took him' or how 'he wasn't good enough for you' but she carries on with her short speech wistfully. "_I don't even know her name, though."

_The announcer is shocked, but he looks to Utau with an idea brewing behind his eyes. "_Would you mind saying his name so that we could let him know that he's missed his chance with such a beautiful young lady?_"_

_ Utau giggles, but not because of the announcer's flirty attitude. No, she was obviously imagining the hilarious look on the boy's face once he heard the news, as I was about to experience first-hand. _"All right, if you really want to know—"_she looks off as though she'd memorized his face, "_His name's Ikuto."

_Ikuto and I sit up immediately from our slouched position, him nearly dropping me in the process. "Woah, brother complex, Utau?"_

I reach school to find it nearly empty. In my haste, I had left the house nearly an hour early, and so I had an hour to wait before I could actually do anything even partially entertaining or productive.

So I lose myself in memories, as I seem to be doing a lot today.

This time, though, it was Nagihiko that I was looking at. Actually, at the time, it had been Nadeshiko.

_Graceful, that was the only word to describe the dancer as she moved, detached from reality, in a world where her bones were made of nothing but a smooth yet strong liquid. Nadeshiko Fujisaki, that's her name. Everyone who's anyone knew who she was, and anyone who was anyone wanted to be her or her friend._

_ Her posters were scattered all throughout the school halls as Ikuto and I stalked throughout the corridors. This wasn't too long after he'd received his sister's confession, yet he seemed careless as ever as we paraded through school like the misfits we were._

_ Around us, people whispered about the new kid, and we looked to each other in question. Actually, I looked to Ikuto in question, and he just remained as uncaring as ever as he stared ahead._

_ "I~ku~to?" I call his name as we barge into class quietly, "Do you know anything about the new kid?"_

_ He shakes his head, only pulling me into his lap as we wait for the teacher to appear. We don't wait long, as the teacher races in quickly._

_ "So, here's the new student!" She gasps out as she opens the door, for a girl to come in._

_ Yet, the voice was too deep to be a girl. "Yo, my name is Nagihiko Fujisaki," he grins at us. And yet, I could've sworn he was a girl. A graceful girl, sort of like Nadeshiko._

_ A look at Ikuto tells me he was thinking the same._

**Aaah, couldn't get through all of them, but I'd feel bad if I didn't update…**

**Right, so Yaya and Tadase in the next one! As usual, thanks for the reviews! Ja ne!**


	10. Chapter 10

The school bell rings, effectively knocking me straight out of my memorable reverie and back into the boring workings of the pit of despair that some people feel fit to dub 'life' or 'reality'. Honestly, it takes most of my strength for me to pull myself out of the car and onto the sidewalk with my backpack strung over my shoulder.

I can be late, but I can't be too late. After all, a few of those more important and yet still incredibly unimportant people come at the untimely pace of a snail, and so arrive around ten minutes after school has officially started.

I'm already in the time where the more concerned popular kids start showing up for school, and I honestly don't want to bump into the latest of all of those people: Tsukiyomi Ikuto. So I head through the building, lost in a crowd, before noting a dark blue envelope obviously sticking out from within the only locker filled with mostly pale pink puke-colored paper.

Yes, I have seen puke that was pink. Trust me, it looked like that, and it was _not_ a pretty sight… Right, continuing. Sorry, got off track there.

Anyway, I see the paper, but completely ignore it, only staring as the rest of the people I'm surrounded with stare and gasping as the rest of the people around me gasp. It's only right, after all, when you do the sort of dangerous things that I'm doing, like treating a popular person like a normal human being (How dare she! She should go die, alone!) or treating a popular person like they weren't a human being because, let's face it, they aren't.

Right, that's not because I'm biased or anything. No-siree. That's the cold hard truth.

The teacher sighs as I walk into the classroom late, again. "Why are you always late!" The teacher mumbles to herself before looking to the class. "Today, we will be continuing our discussion on…"

And I completely blank out, resigning myself to carefully doodling nothings on the side of my binder as any possibly important information that the teacher dares to present to us slips right out of my grasp and straight into the untouchable realm of useful things. It's not completely my fault, though, as I feel a glare pounding at my back for the whole class period.

I don't have to look back to know it's Rima-chan, but I do anyway. I look back and see her somewhat confused and playful and mad and glaring eyes staring back at me, a mix of all things paradoxical in one single glance.

I just show her a small smile before turning back to the front of the room, but not to the teacher. I feel her glare intensify to the point of nearly incinerating the whole entire school to nothingness, but I don't look back at her small face again for the rest of the class period.

_A note from Rima then,_ I smile to myself, knowing that that would be the only reason that, not only was she scrutinizing me, but she was scrutinizing every other person in the class. _So two to me, that's a new record!_

**~*In Science*~**

Utau, Kukai, and I are forced to sit together for our project.

"I bet that I could beat you in anything," Kukai boasts as he looks at Utau out of the corner of his eye. He was smirking, though it looked like it was more of a poorly hidden full-out grin.

"I bet you'd lose in everything," Utau retorts, completely glaring at him (and that she doesn't try to hide). Yet, if you were to look closely enough (and I was, because I honestly had nothing better to do because science was being incredibly retarded and stupid and retarded and…) you would see that she was simply teasing the boy.

He rolls his eyes, turning to face Utau completely, "At least I'd still be before you," he shrugs.

Right, so how did we end up talking about something completely unrelated to the project (actually, them, cause I'm not talking) is pretty much the stupidest thing possible. Actually, they were debating on who I would sit with at lunch.

Me! I mean, why would anyone bother to argue about _me?_ After all, I usually end up sitting alone at lunch anyway.

Anyway, they were arguing about me and my sitting habits, that they honestly never really cared to notice before, anyway, and suddenly got to arguing about who was better than the other.

"So, who do you want to sit with, Hinamori?" Suddenly, the both of them are staring at me expectantly, blinking innocently as if they hadn't just sprung the weirdest question on me. Yet, for some reason I knew that if I didn't answer I'd be flailed to death.

"And don't say no one, Amu," Utau fixes that murderous glare of hers onto me, and I know that she's not kidding.

I gulp. "Both of you?" I hide my stutter somewhat successfully, instead just awkwardly avoiding either of them as I look from side to side in an attempt to ignore both of them.

Utau laughs this loud and harsh laugh as Kukai just grins at me, "I'm holding you to that, Hinamori," he playfully hits my shoulder. He seems happy, but I'm not quite sure if it's about me sitting next to him or because Utau is going to sit next to me (who is, actually, sitting next to him).

As in (Gasp) they can talk at lunch today. Yes, amazing. I know. Actually, that makes me the useless third wheel that does nothing but get in the way and, occasionally, keeps everything from becoming a wreck of wheels on the road that is about to get run over by an oncoming train.

Needless to say, it sucks.

Suddenly, Utau is whispering in my ear, "And don't you _dare_ think that I'm going to talk to him at all," she's glaring at me (seriously? What is with people today and glaring at me?).

But I just smile as the bell rings, marking the end of yet another useless day in science class. "Wouldn't dream of it," I smirk at her, noticing that it takes her just enough time for me to disappear for her to actually get that sarcasm was hidden within the confines of my words.

"Amu," I hear her groaning angrily before stomping off to her next class.

Ah, I love being an unimportant nobody with sarcasm.

**~*Orchestra*~**

I had such an amazing time in science class that I completely forget about my being grouped with the most intolerable excuses for civilized beings.

The only one there when I enter the room is Tadase.

"You're Hinamori Amu, right?" He nods at me, lifting up an arm as though to shake my hand thoughtfully.

A few years ago, my face would've flushed, but not now. Instead, I just raise an eyebrow and scoff. "You're Tadase, right?" I ask him, even though nearly everyone in the school knows his name.

He successfully ignores my apparent 'attitude problem' as he just smiles and nods at me before raking his eyes over the crowd of people before nodding and waving at Saaya.

I sigh, pulling myself onto a chair and trying to fall asleep.

"Yo," someone whispers into my ear before biting down abruptly. I nearly screech, though manage to refrain myself from doing so as I turn to glare at him.

"Tsukiyomi," I narrow my eyes at him before turning to look for the only partially sane one of our group, Nagihiko.

Who has yet to come.

…

Two minutes later…

Three minutes later…

The bell rings, and still no Nagihiko in sight.

"So, it looks like just the three of us?" Ikuto looks around as though searching for the missing boy before shrugging his shoulders and falling onto a chair to sit on.

"We're going to choose a piece today!" The kingly boy announces, as though by some strange twist of fate he'd managed to achieve a place of standing in our small group of four.

I respond by looking at him, bored, and Ikuto simply ends up putting his feet on my lap.

Needless to say, I push his feet off.

"I said, _we're going to pick a piece today_," Tadase repeats angrily, although he doesn't get any rise out of the two other people of our group.

"Are either of you listening to me?" He growls, asking us what seems like a stupid question to me.

Why? Because the only way he'd possibly get an answer from either of us is if we were listening to him and, honestly, I doubt either of us would or would admit to be paying attention.

Suddenly, he starts mumbling to himself about 'picking a piece for us' himself before he stalks off to some other place where we don't have to even pretend to pay attention to him.

Honestly, I don't get how he could possibly be popular.

"So, Hinamori Amu?" The voice is deep, husky, and playful. I turn to stare at the blue-haired speaker as he places one elbow on his knee and the attached hand under his chin. He's looking at me as though not really expecting an answer, rather as though he was merely trying to annoy me with his incessant stare.

"So, freaking jerk?" I retort, looking away from him with a pout.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" I can hear the careful confusion that he'd tried to hide dancing beneath his tone, but I don't turn around to stare at him. I know I'm only getting my hopes up. Sometimes, I wonder if he's missing me somehow, as though a part of him was missing.

Then I snap myself out of it. Life isn't a fairy tale, and there is no such thing as a happy ending. Someone, the evil witch or the bad guy or that innocent casualty that was just trash for someone else to throw away, always loses in the end.

I've lived my life being that person, I doubt that it's about to change.

So I shake my head, because I have nothing to lose anymore from lying. Actually, the only way for me to lose something is by telling the truth. "Never seen you outside of school."

I know him well enough to know that he's tilting his head a little to the right, not moving from his position, without even turning my head to stare at him. I know him well enough to be able to tell you that he's Tsukiyomi Ikuto and, as such a freaking perverted and stubborn freak, he would never let anything allow him to lose himself.

Oh, funny. I know, it seems weird, but he used to say I'm a part of him. Amazingly hilarious, right? I hardly am enough to be me, let alone a part of him.

"Really?" He moves to stand in front of me, that annoying smirk spread straight across his face as I just sit there with a bored expression on my face. We sit there, having some sort of glaring/looking/boring contest.

"So, I chose a son-" Tadase comes running over to us before looking between the two of us in slight confusion.

I break away from Tsukiyomi's contest before I look to him. "Right, thanks," I tell him, even though I honestly couldn't care less about whatever type of whatever useless things he'd chosen for the two of us.

Before he can tell us what the song is, however, the bell rings, marking the abrupt end of yet another day of the most boring school known to anyone without a brain, and a few who actually do have brains but are forced to come here anyway.

**Okay, so I didn't actually do Yaya and Tadase yet… but I'll have them eventually. I just thought that some of you wonderful people would be getting incredibly bored because of the retarded reality that is my flashbacks and overall writing.**

**So yes, they will be here soon (maybe tomorrow) but not now. Nope, nope, nope.**

**Right, so… I told you guys at chapter five that I'd be writing letters for you guys if you wanted, right? So… here they are!**

Dear Kasuri Momoki, (For X-Leavitt-x-Amber-X)

Psst, I know where you live.

Well, actually, no, no I don't. In fact, I couldn't care less where you live. I don't even think you care where you live or where your locker is or anything is the like.

Imagine! The only way for me to get this letter to you was by putting it where _Ikuto_ would see it. I mean, imagine the horror of me having to sink down to your letter and _stalk_ a stalker. I mean, who does that? People with no lives, that's who.

Actually, I have no life, so it's actually a rather accurate assumption on my part. In fact, the only way for someone the lead an even more pitiful existence than me is if there were to stalk a stalker who was already stalking a stalker. I mean, how many people do that? None, that's who.

So, it stands to reason that I am the most pitiful excuse for a 'nobody important' ever to dare to ignore the laws of importance, instead just going on with life with the façade of a normal human being, while I am actually an alien from some unimportant planet in the never-before-seen confines of the useless universe. Which I'm not, but I had to put that somewhere to confuse you.

Actually, I put that in to scare you. Is it working? No? Yes? It should be working; actually it should be down-right freaking you out by now. I heard that you were a funny person like that, easy to freak out. I used to have a friend like that.

She's dead now.

…

…

Okay, funny story, right? No, she's alive. She's just almost as pitiful as I am (which is saying something) and someone completely ignorant even of my existence. I mean, this girl no longer knows that I _exist_.

Right, off topic. Sorry.

Well, the way I see it, you're going to completely freak over this letter before throwing a fit and beginning to PMS every single day (which I've always thought was impossible, yet somehow I think you'll manage) without fail.

I mean, what a b-right young jerk? (Sorry, I don't feel the need to sink down to your level, so I'll just compliment you… in a rather demeaning matter. Yes, that's what I do for a living, not that I have a living. Maybe a dying… or a…).

Yeah, you're a freak. Almost as much of a freak as the rest of the school. Needless to say, I think you fit in perfectly with the rest of society, which is made up of the least endearing people thrown together in a box of inedible cookies and then starved nearly to death with only spinach to eat (which, for the record, they as a group did not like).

Needless to say, everyone here is almost as much of a loser as you. _Almost_. Because, you see, everyone is a jerk except for those rare people who are weaker than the rest, and so they get more help. You, however, are just a freaking loser who is too out-of-touch from reality to realize anything.

Right, bye.

The Broken (Stalker)

Thanks for the review and the character ;)

Dear Mizuki, (Thanks to RandomBeats! Your reviews make me laugh ;))

Hello stereotype. Or asian. Or smart person. Or whatever. So, I saw you yesterday at school. You were all hyped up on sweets before you turned all serious on everyone before snapping out of it when you made someone pout.

I mean, bipolar much? Wow, wondrously different depending on situations.

Wait, that's everyone, isn't it. Never mind, you aren't too special.

I mean, hello? Intelegente? Like, you know, everyone else. Excuse my sarcasm, but here comes the reality of the matter, which is that you frankly aren't much of a somebody. Yet, here comes the difference from me, because you aren't a nobody either. Frankly, you aren't an anything. Except, maybe, a flipping outlier to reality.

I mean, caring too? Sheesh! I've met a few people like that, you know, and yet all the caring personality was buried under a shell of uncaring protection that I hardly ever found the indecency to peek beneath.

The question is: do you see this thing too?

The Broken (Reality)

Thanks for the reviews!

Dear Xanida, (Thanks to Starlightmint72, read her story, yeh?)

Well, looky here it's little miss 'I'm so pitiful!'

News flash, sometimes it's an absence that makes the joy. It's a sort of 'pick your poison' sort of thing. If you've lived like something all your life without something or with something, you _are_ going to reach for it with all of you being.

And still, you're little-miss perfect. Still, you're who everyone wants to be. Still, you outshine all else and push the people who were clinging to their last sense of light and reality into the pitch black ending of darkness, and so you can't see anything else.

Instead, you sap this pitiful feelings out of them, sap their dreams and hopes and the likes, and use it to make yourself feel human or perfect for a moment. The truth is, you're not perfect and you're only as real as you make yourself. Still, you try to white out these feelings.

Lies. Liar. Lies. Lies for the liar. Don't you think it's cheating, to feel yourself dipping farther and farther into self-pity before you finally crash into these bad feelings and crack, you _crack_, under the pressure.

You can have anything you want, yet you want nothing. Where's your childish spirit? Where's the idea that you're not perfect, or your life has problems, or you don't know what to do. Here it is, and you've got no dreams, and people can _see_ this. People can sense this like animals sense fear, and you find comfort in this? You find comfort in the pitiful feelings that creep up on you?

Oh, to be pity itself is a problem, my dear. You've got some major issues.

The Broken (Humanity)

Dear Jade… just Jade, (Thanks to alex culten)

Well, hi person who doesn't even know or just doesn't want to say their own last name. Hi, much? I've heard about you.

And I understand how you'd get easily angered when you're related to that freakish cousin of yours. Tsu~ki~yo~mi.

Gosh, what a freak!

Oh, right. This isn't about him, though. It's about you! You and your problems! You and your problems of everything.

Here's the truth: you're short! :)

I don't know if you take that offensively, but the truth hurts sometimes, and here's the truth. Does it hurt? Are you going to go throw a fit at me?

Now?

Later?

No?

Good, cause I wasn't about to listen at all anyway. Right, goodbye before you actually get that I'm here so that I can run away without problem.

Right! So long! I don't have the money to pay for minor (or major, for that matter) physical damage. Right, so bye. Adios.

The Broken (Trickster)

**Here it is! Thanks for all of the reviews, all! 129! :) If I forget to answer questions, don't be afraid to repost them, I won't be mad or anything! Sorry about all of my late updates, btw. . . Track started!**

**KYA! My abs hurt! D: iSad.**

**Anyway, will update soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

Right, so lunch time. Now, I'm sure that each and every one of you has been to a school lunch room sometime in your life. If you haven't, you have no life. Second of all, it's chaos. As in the horrible sort of 'what the heck is going on?' chaos that engulfs everyday life for the average high school student.

"Amu!" I hear the voice screeching my name despite the many, _many _yells around me that seem to drown out any other possible noises that may seem to be good for me to hear. "Over here!"

I look in the direction of the yelling, only to see Kukai waving wildly at me as I try to slink away into the shadows where I would be continually unseen. It doesn't work as well as I'd hope, as Utau suddenly appears behind me to drag me over to the table.

I mean, seriously? Where'd she come from? I swear she wasn't there when I looked before, or last time, or that she has…

Right, focus Amu.

"Hi?" My voice sounds strangely quavering as I stare before me to the competitive will-be couple.

Kukai grins and Utau is still hovering behind me as though wanting me to run away just so she could bring me back here forcibly. "Hey," she tells me, pulling up a seat before sitting down onto it abruptly. "So…"

So is right. The three of us look between ourselves as though searching for something to say, but we can find nothing. Or at least, I can find nothing.

"Well," Kukai scratches his head thoughtfully, "Why don't we get to know each other better?" He flashes one of those grins that only he can give before looking between the two of us excitedly. "So, who's first?"

I can tell that he wants Utau to be first, so I look to her as though challenging her otherwise. If there is anything I know about Utau, it's that she never backs down from a challenge.

True to her nature, she starts out, "I'm Utau?"

Kukai shrugs his shoulders, as though meaning to say 'it was worth a shot!' before turning to look between us two.

"This is useless…" I mumble to myself under my breath.

Neither turn to glare at me, though, as they continue with their game, completely disregarding me and swapping random facts. Colors, pets, you name it. I now know both of their personal information.

Oh ge-heee, just what I wanted!

Suddenly, I hear something from Utau that I wasn't necessarily expecting to hear today. "I've been getting letters," Kukai tells Utau with his hand scratching his neck distractedly. "I don't know from who."

Utau just stares as though asking from who, but she doesn't really expect an answer.

He sighs, as though thinking whether or not to actually tell her, but I don't know what his final choice is. No, I couldn't possibly know unless I was Utau, as he leans down to whisper the words into her ear so quietly that you had to be less than a centimeter from him to hear a word. This is amazing, because he's normally very loud and obnoxious.

The bell rings, releasing us from the awkward silence that followed, and leaving me with yet another uneaten lunch and a very empty stomach.

And the wonder of who else was going to tell.

English class is next. Which, as I've already mentioned multiple times, is only beaten in uselessness by the very _very_ useless class of mathematics.

I mean, at least English isn't boring enough that I had to completely delete any possible writings that I had dared to put down because of just how very boring it was.

I mean, really? I don't think anyone cares how 'y=mx+b' or whatever we've learned since we'd learned that. It's even worse when you're going to have to go tomorrow, which is a weekend day, to some random preppy girl's house just because you have to tutor her with some random overly-kind girl who you don't care about anyway.

Right, so English class.

I sit next to Rima, who was already there, in an attempt to miss any possible encounters with any of the more vile characters in my class. You _do_ know who they are, right?

Compared to the perverted amnesiac, the nerdy freak, the sporty jerk, the popstar, the overly-nice kid, the narcissist, and the cross dresser, the fake and porcelain funny girl is a charismatic teddy bear.

As in, she's the least likely to kill me with her own hands by the end of the class period. Yet, for the record, that's not saying much because she's already glaring at the back of my head, as she had been doing for the last whole entire day.

The teacher drones on about 'dialogue' because, obviously, we don't talk enough. So we have to learn to talk on paper too! Oh joy! See, this is what they talk about, they being the language arts teachers again. Irony.

You tell us to talk on paper, get mad when we do it wrong, tell us to talk, then get mad when we do it too much! We not including me, of course, cause I'm just horrible at both, so it doesn't matter anyway.

"So you put the quotation mark," the teacher was telling everyone in the class, even though I'm sure that everyone is quite familiar with the simple idea of two small apostrophes put together to form, wait for it, a quotation mark.

"Why do we have to do this again?" Rima was moaning about the stupidity of the lesson to herself throughout the whole class period as she twirls her pen between her fingers without thought.

Eventually, I get tired of her growls, and so I whisper harshly to her, "Don't be so cocky! We all have to sit here," I glared back at her, for the first time today.

She stares at me, as though not expecting for me to talk to her or even return her incessant glare.

"Not the same wa—" she starts off. The way her eyes glinted in confidence was unnerving, the way her fingers didn't even quake was horrifying.

But I still interrupt her, "Who's to say what 'way' we sit here?" The anger from everything I've felt since freshman year that had built up against some unshakable dam was pushing against my barriers with everything they had. It was unnerving, to say the least. It was horrifying, and heartbreaking, and downright quivering to my ideals.

She doesn't even blink.

I pull her back by her hair before she can say anything else just as neutral as her stare. I'm about to screech into her ear when the bell rings.

Let me tell you, that gave a whole new meaning to the term 'saved by the bell'. Actually, it was something completely different from being saved by the bell. It was like being abducted by the evil bell that was going to come and pull you to nothingness.

Right, so Rima somehow manages to pull me around the corner, and her glare doesn't stop.

"It's you." Her fingers drum against her hip as she pulls on her hair with her other hand. She looks at me expectantly, as though expecting for me to know exactly what she's talking about.

"What's me?" My voice, although completely serious (I think) still is bombarded by sarcasm that just won't let me go. I stare at Rima, as though the answer would be written on her face if only I looked enough.

"You. You're her, you're…" she looks at me sideways before laughing to herself. "Forget, forget , forget!"

I tilt my head, trying to figure out where her thoughts were coming from, what her idea was, or how she was thinking like this. Or what she was thinking. Or why.

"You're the Broken!" She whispers, though it holds enough power and force to be a yell if only it were louder. Shock overtakes my facial expression as she pulls out a letter. "By the way, I think this is for you."

Yet, how?

How did she know… it's not like I did anything that would let her know or anything. Not like I could possibly tell her anything or tell anything about her. I know nothing about what made her get this information.

"H-how?" I stutter, although I'd been trying to break that habit since elementary school. I'd want to be stronger, I'd wanted to be…

"It's simple, really," she tells me, moving her gaze from mine in favor of something else more interesting. Something different, something less useless. Something she'd bother to remember for years and years to come.

"W-w-what?" I pull my hands to grab large handfuls of my shirt, as though it would give me some sort of support in a world that seemed to be spinning.

She smiles, although there is no happiness behind the grin. "I tried to forget you," she looks to me with that smile still stretching across her face. "Yet, how could I forget the one person who could ever know everything about everyone?"

I feel lost, staring at her as she just erases her smile from her face. She just wears that uninterested look that she has worn oh-so often in class.

"I'd never forget about you, Hinamori Amu," she pulls on my arm, like she used to do in freshman year all the time. "I do know what it's like to have a friend."

I stare at her, gaping at her uninterested face as she pulls the letter into my hand. You know, that letter she'd taken out before everything.

She turns to walk away.

But I stop her. I pull on her hair, on the bow that she still had pinned into her blond locks. "Then why did you ignore me?" I ask her before she has the chance to walk away.

She laughs a laugh as true as that smile she'd managed to stretch across her face. As in, a laugh that makes the blood boil just because of how very humorless it is. She turns back, shrugging as though it makes no difference anymore to tell me more information that she'd held to herself for all these years.

"I tried to forget you, because you were all I had left to remind me of what it was like," her voice cracks a little, "Of what it was like when they were still together." She walks back to me, before standing on her tippy toes and pulling me down, as though trying to tell me a secret. "But sometimes, we're not all we're trying to be."

Before I bother to look up, she's long gone.

**~*Parking Lot*~**

I walk to my car alone, because I never have anyone to walk with.

Rima-chan…

I've never been more confused, or more interested in a phone call and letter. Whoever was on that phone was surely the one who pulled everything out of balance.

My car feels like nirvana when I get to it, a sort of oasis in a world of chaos and things that I thought I knew, but really didn't. By this time, the parking lot is mostly empty, but I figure that I can't really chance a look at the letter in such a public place.

So I drive home, with my radio turned up as though Ami were in the car with me. But she's not. Actually, it's more like the secrets that everyone is keeping or trying to keep being drilled into my head like a woodpecker. It's like I need something, anything, to keep my mind off of whatever I'd been thinking.

When I pull into the driveway, I hurry out of my car and into the house. Ami and my parents are home this time, but they don't even tell me 'welcome home' as I slam the door shut.

"Hi," I whisper under my breath, as though it would make someone turn to listen to me, but it doesn't. I end up going up to my room as though nobody had heard me come in, and they probably hadn't heard me come in anyway.

Once I do get into my room, I pull open the envelope, I'm met with a piece of paper filled with Ikuto's strangely neat, and small, handwriting (that I know very well, by the way).

I start reading it after wondering what sorts of horrors would be in store for me when I read the paper, and immediately pulled into the writing, like I do with anything and everything that I read.

_Dear The Broken,_

_ By the way, is it okay that I call you the broken? Or should I call you TB? Or kitty? I'd call you kitty. It seems like you're still a kid, anyway. Wouldn't kitty be close enough? They sound the same._

_ You seem kind of dumb. A rambling kind of dumb. Is it just because you're a kid? Or maybe it's just that you're dumb, and so I shouldn't be reading into it. Maybe, just maybe, it's all a figment of my imagination._

_ I have seen people crazy enough to look through my letters before. It was back in freshman year when gossip girls still didn't know the meaning of 'personal property' or 'stalker' or 'revenge'. They got it eventually._

_ You miss me, yet I don't know you? That doesn't make sense. Wouldn't it be the other way around? You know me, but you don't miss me? Or maybe I just don't know what I'm missing._

_ Or maybe you're just a stalker. The possibilities are endless. Almost endless, anyway. Everything does have an end, eventually. Even the longest lasting of things have an end. Actually, it's only the long-lasting and the short-term things that people notice. It's the long term because they've been there forever, and the short term because, well, it's the short term._

_ Eventually, everyone's got to let it go._

_ Bye, Tsukiyomi Ikuto_

It's not like it was a sign or anything, but I couldn't help but stare at the letter as though it would tell me anything. Yet, it was just the kind of thing that Ikuto would always write: before and after forgetting who I was. Ikuto would always lead the guise of knowing everything and saying too much, without actually saying anything (or really knowing anything either).

Right, harsh Amu.

I lay on my bed, not really planning on doing my homework, yet not bothering to fall asleep at such an early hour of the night, either. It made me think, and I need some time to do that sometimes. Like, the world is always pulling the sanity out of me without asking, and then expects me to pull myself together before everything else pulls into play.

_Sometime's, we're not all we're trying to be._

**Hey all! I did love writing those letters ;) **

**If you want me to write you one, I will! And I'll post it up like I did those other ones!**

**Also, has anyone noticed how Amu always calls things "useless"? Can anyone guess why?**

**Also, see that quote from Rima that I finished with? What connection to the series is that for? x)**

**And, also, I meant to skip math class. I mean, that's the only class people ever write about! Sheesh!**

**And reviews? To 160? :D Thanks for the 144 that I have right now!**

… **But please? D:**

**Will update soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

I sit there examining the ceiling for what seems like an eternity, but in truth is only an hour or two. I finally choose to get up just so I can check my email account for any new messages I might've acquired in the long while I'd been neglecting the account.

Quickly typing in the password, I go to the main account page which is practically empty. The only email I see is one labeled 'Project' sent by an unknown email. Curious, I click the link.

_Hey Tsukiyomi and Hinamori! Or, at least I think this is Tsukiyomi and Hinamori! This weekend, Saturday, whatever, we should work on the project! Is that okay with you two?_

Below the short note there's already a curt reply from Utau.

_Fine_.

Even her email seems to be a way of her holding back from him, a way that she has found so that she ends up being distanced from him even more. I smile between the two, because it's so obvious that they like each other it nearly makes me puke.

I end up replying to the email as well, making sure to hit 'Reply All' so that both Kukai and Utau get the email from me.

_Fine by me. Where to?_

Call me crazy, but I already knew where he would choose. The park, which is where we'd practiced his soccer skills once we had moved here, was his only choice. And it was a very obvious only choice, too.

After checking my email, I shut down my computer. Now, this may come to a shock to most of the people reading this, but I do have a life, and so, unlike most of society today, I do not have the need to be drawn in by inanimate objects for the sake of entertainment.

Wow, now that I think of it; that sounded kind of weird. Like perverted, as in something that only Ik-

Right, shutting up now, sorry.

Anyway, I turn off my computer in favor of doing a group of set actions, which may include, but is not limited to, watching TV, playing games, cooking, practicing viola, and the like. Now, normally I'd be a kind girl and explain exactly what I'm doing, but I don't see that as necessary.

Mostly because that would open a window for people to more easily stalk me, not that that is even likely, though it is possible. I, for one, do not enjoy being stalked. Therein, if there is any way to make it possible for someone to even stalk me on accident, I will avoid this possibility like the plague, going completely out of my way to avoid such an outcome.

As in, stop complaining because I won't tell you even if you begged.

After doing whatever, I take a quick shower so that I can go to bed, finally. I turn off all of the lights in the house before lying down. The house seems like someone else's, as I hear everything spring to life behind my closed door. A small sliver of light sneaks in from under the doorway, and I hear somewhat muffled laughter coming from the dining room.

Right, just forget they're there. Forget, forget, forget.

**~*Morning*~**

Good morning, fellow doomed people of planet Earth!

I wake up to see the world still pitch black outside of my window. Not even the birds outside are awake yet, but I still get out of my bed tiredly.

I always get up this early. It seems that, more so than the nigh hours of the night, the earliest morning hours are the times when I can finally reach a moment of peace and quiet. It's moments like these when I feel like I'm finally my own separate person, like I'm something special or important.

It's also times like these when I can be dubbed as 'mentally lacking' or as having 'a few screws loose', so I wouldn't read too much into anything I say right now.

I walk quietly over to my closet, even though my footsteps would've been muffled by the carpet despite anything I'd do. Inside, there are only a few clothes, as I've never seen the point in stocking up on pieces of cloth that I'm likely to never wear even in my most delusional state.

I pull out some random outfit, which (I think) was comprised of black cargo pants, a pink and black striped shirt, and a black vest. Quickly, I dress up before making my bed before anyone else wakes up.

With any luck, I'll be long gone by the time even one of their alarm attempts to wake them up.

"Sis?"

Obviously, I don't have much luck. I turn around on my heels to face Ami, who is holding a piece of paper between her still-small hands as she shifts her weight from one foot to another incessantly.

"Yeah?" I ask her, impatiently trying to get her to finish talking so I would finally be able to be rid of this somewhat suffocating area.

Her brown locks still impossibly tangled, it's obvious that she'd just woken up as she drowsily looks to me, as though trying to fight the urge to collapse right on the spot. "I just wanted to tell you something," she whispers.

It's obvious that she thinks that she'd not have another chance to talk to me today if she were to let me go straight out of the door as I had planned. Instead, she just looks up to me like she used to do when I was in elementary school before opening her mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry," she tells me, "for everything."

Then she starts to walk back to her room, smiling sadly back at me before closing her bedroom door quietly.

Except, she was so tired that she'd dropped the paper she held on the way. I allow for curiosity to take over as I force myself to wander over to where she'd dropped the paper.

I see my note to her, which now seems to harsh to be words I'd meant to be telling my only sister. It's obvious that she'd read the not many, many times as the sides were flimsy to touch, almost as movable as a cloth.

I turn the paper over, and realize that she had no idea that it was me who wrote the nasty letter to her. Part of me was thankful for that, but then I read what she'd written on the back.

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,_ in her neat, bubbly handwriting. The words seem to be crowded all throughout the paper, over, and over, and over again like a broken tape that was written down.

I fold the paper and place it in my pocket before grabbing my keys and heading out the door. However, none of this was before I found the audacity in me to creep up to her slightly open doorway and whisper to her in a voice that I'd used to reserve for her when she'd not gotten what she had wanted. "I'm sorry too."

In an effort to forget the early morning's events, I go to the park. It's nearly empty, because, though it may no longer be early morning, it was still morning, and no one in the right mind wakes up so early that they would be able to see a creature like me in her natural habitat.

"Aren't you a little early?" I hear someone asking me. I turn a little to see him, Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

I sneer, "What are you doing here?" I find myself asking him mercilessly as I twirl to face the boy. The memory of his cruel letter burns in the back of my mind as I glare at him.

True to his nature, he only chuckles. "I'm supposed to tell Utau when both of you show up," he's lounging on a park bench as he uncaringly supplies me with the useless information.

I shrug, just to show him that, not only did I hear him, but I heard him and I honestly didn't care to.

He fakes a pout, "What, you don't want to see me?" He sits up before looking behind me to see someone. "Oh, well, I've got to go."

He winks at me as he walks away before pulling out a cell phone as though to call Utau and force her to come over here.

I sigh, because Tsukiyomi Ikuto will always be Tsukiyomi Ikuto. As in, he never changes.

I turn to see Kukai already jumping up and down in excitement. Excitement for what, I don't know, but I know that he was very, very excited for something.

I yawn at him, if only to show that I'm bored out of my wits here, and his ignoring me wasn't helping me either. "Here I thought you'd be late," I look to him thoughtfully.

He shrugs. "We didn't set up a time, figured I couldn't be late," he laughs at some unshared joke before continuing his retarded half-dance half-running-around-in-circles things, leaving me to just stare un-amused at him.

"He's a piece of work," I mumble to myself before plopping myself down on the bench that Ikuto used to be lounged on.

"He is, isn't he," I jump at the voice, before looking back to see Utau grinning at me. She looks to Kukai still jumping around before getting annoyed.

"Oi! Stop that before I kill you myself!" She's steaming, at what, though, I have no idea. She brings her hands in front of her with that strange glint in her eye before cracking her knuckles menacingly.

Right, that's what makes her so untouchable at school.

I feel awkward between the two as Kukai turns to glare at Utau, who had ruined his fun (which was, honestly, freaking me out a great deal). I take a few steps back as the two fire their glares off at each other as though they were weapons before chuckling nervously.

"So, project right?"

Both of them look at me confused before Kukai suddenly figures out what I'm talking about. He jumps up, only to trip and fall, leaving Utau to just shake her head. She pulls him up harshly with one hand as he scratches the back of his neck.

"Right, project."

We stand their awkwardly for a second before Kukai starts to laugh the stress off.

He's acting exactly like the Kukai I'd once known. Every laugh brings back a memory that I'd buried deep, hoping to forget. Every single time he looks at me, he looks at me like he looked at his old friends. It's like he knows that I'm missing, now.

What am I missing? Rima didn't forget me, but I know for a fact that Kukai forgot my identity.

"So..."

He starts to talk animatedly about the project as Utau occasionally adds in her own opinion. I listen to their conversation, deciding to myself that it's no use for me to even try to put myself anywhere into the conversation. Instead, I just listen and laugh.

I laugh as though, for once, I'm not as broken as I think.

I wish.

**TBC**

**Heh, will update soon!**

**Thanks for the reviews! Not quite 160, but quite close, wouldn't you say? :)**

**: Hey, your review wasn't too corny! … jk, it wasn't corny at all :D**

**Is that an email? O-o Whatevs… heh x3 Hey, I doubt you're bad D: I mean, if you think about it, I think everyone is so very hard on themselves…**


	13. Chapter 13

They're still talking to each other when I start to drift off. After all, it'd been a time like this that I'd met Tadase Hotori.

_I sit at the picnic table, happily swinging my feet back and forth as I watch Kukai practicing soccer._

_ "Shouldn't we be working on the project?" I ask him, although I know that it's more like a teasing possibility than a suggestion._

_ He responds by kicking the ball at me. "Watch out, Hinamori," he yells after the ball makes contact with my forehead. Slightly ashamed at his 'hitting a girl', he starts to back away slowly. "Umm, sorry Hinamori…" he tells me before starting to race off as he sees the wicked grin spreading across my face._

_ "Oh no you don't!" I pick up the ball from where it had rolled after oh-so-kindly colliding with my head. Quickly dribbling the ball, I rush to catch up with him. "Got you!" I'm laughing by this time, and so I hear him loudly joining my laughter as I pull my leg back. Without stopping, I kick the ball straight into his face._

_ And, sadly, I run into some random passerby who had been walking down the pathway without paying attention. Both of us fall to the ground because of my momentum, and we're quiet as I nervously laugh._

_ "Hey Hinam—oh," Kukai walks over to see the two of us, before intelligently prompting me to stand up from on top of the poor soul who stopped paying attention in a park full of violently active kids who generally don't pay attention to anyone or anything, let alone anyone or anything they don't know._

_ Actually, never mind. This person had it coming._

_ "Sorry about that," I'm still laughing as I look to the person on the floor. With a start, I realize that said person is a boy of around my own age._

_ He scoffs, "It's alright," he's dusting himself off. "I'm Hotori Tadase," he introduces himself with a sort of nervous smile that normally would make girls swoon._

_ I gasp. "You're that kid!" I gape at him. By 'that kid' I mean 'that kid who goes to my high school and parades around the whole area as though he were a prince, although he really only wants to be a king and…'. Needless to say, saying 'that kid' was a lot more efficient._

_ "That kid?" He's confused as he just stares to me before looking to Kukai as though the answer would be found with him._

_ Kukai's eyes light up in recognition as he sees the 'prince's' violet eyes. "Oh! _That_ kid!" He exclaims as he looks over the boy. "I'd always thought you'd be a bit more," he pauses thoughtfully, "tall?"_

_ Tadase looks to him incredulously before staring back to me. Obviously he was looking for any sign of sanity between the two of us, although I have to admit he'll have a hard time finding such a thing._

_ "What are you two talking about?" He's still confused as he starts to back away from us slowly._

_ "You're the prince!" We explain, nearly unanimously before looking to each other in good humor._

_ He raises an eyebrow before turning away, as though to say 'think whatever you want'._

_ We're still laughing together long after he'd left our sight. We never did get anything done on that project._

"Amu," Utau pokes me slightly before glaring at my now-open eyes.

"Um, yeah?" I look at her as she taps her foot impatiently. Kukai isn't too far away. Actually, he's just leaning up against a nearby tree with his arms crossed as he waits for Utau to come to him.

"We're going to go get some ice-cream, is there any type you want in particular?" She looks at me as though wanting a quick answer. Although, I'm quite tempted to give some long and random explanation to the flavor I want.

She's lucky my angel side won out this time. "Chocolate," I hardly get the words out before she's on her way with a short wave.

I sigh. _Ice cream_.

_I'm sitting at a bench alone. Rima had already excused herself from the park without my knowing, so I was left to simply sit here with nothing to do for a while before I would be able to force myself to go home._

_ Boring, boring, boring. I twirl a strand of my hair between two fingers as I simply sit there. I know that at home Ami is already getting pampered by my parents who, doubtlessly, are more than happy that I'm not home yet._

_ Can you believe how very boring this is? No? Want me to elaborate? I will, even if you don't know. First, imagine someone watching paint. Then, imagine someone watching that person. Then imagine that person's stalker. Finally, imagine the annoyed parent who has to watch their child, who is the stalker, stalk the person watching the person watching paint dry. This doesn't even begin to cover how very boring this is right now._

_ "You look kind of lonely," a girl with brown hair strung up in two pigtails looks to me innocently before twirling around with a giggle. "Want to come get ice cream with me?"_

_ I look at her as though she were insane. "Why would I want to do a thing like that?" I ask, mostly to myself, before pulling myself up off of the bench to follow the girl._

_ She laughs at my question, even though it wasn't really meant for her to hear. "I don't know, why wouldn't you?" She looks at me with those childish brown eyes before skipping along the path. "Yaya's name is Yaya, what's yours?" She grins at me before skipping backwards toward the ice cream booth._

_ "Amu," I nod at her before sweat-dropping. Honestly, where could this girl possibly get all of this excess energy?_

_ "Alright Amu! Ice cream!" She goes up to the booth before ordering two random flavors and pulling out a handful of cash to pay the cashier. He smiles at her before putting the change into the tip jar once he sees her nod approvingly._

_ Once she comes back, she's holding vanilla and chocolate ice cream. "Hope you like chocolate, because the vanilla is all mine!" She's still grinning, even when she starts to devour the ice cream whole. I must've been gaping, because she turns to me with that same smile, only it turns into a sort of confused frown._

_ "Don't you like chocolate?" She asks me before I lick it slowly._

_ "Yeah, of course I do," I pause thoughtfully, "Actually, it's my favorite."_

_ "Good!" She screeches happily before dancing, her ice cream gone by now, "Yaya's glad she could make someone happy!"_

_ I'm looking to her with a wistful smile before I wave goodbye to her. Of course, the only thing on my mind was how I was going to pay her back._

_ In school, the next day, I see her again. She's passing her lunch to a younger student, even though I know for certain that she has no other. I watch as she goes to her locker afterwards to get the stuff for her next class. I memorize her combination, just by watching how much she moves the dial._

_ Swiftly, before she notices after class, I put my lunch in her locker. No use for her to be hungry, I walk away without a word._

I look up to see a scoffing Utau looking to me happily. She doesn't have any ice cream, but she's still back.

"He made you leave?" I ask her without really looking to her eyes. She doesn't say a word about that, instead sitting next to me.

"I know who you are," she points a finger at me accusingly. For a second, I'm worried that she, too, had figured out who I was. Yet, how could she? After all, we'd never met in person. It's impossible for her to know.

"Who?" I attempt to look confused, and not worried as I stare at her, prompting her with my eyes to continue with the accusation.

"I'm amazed I couldn't figure it out sooner," she turns to me, grinning, "and I'm sorry for what I said before. You're his old girlfriend!"

I look at her sideways. This was not what I was expecting.

She rolls her eyes at me before hitting my arm. "Come on, I've seen you in pictures before. Really, pink hair? How could I forget?" She looks to me playfully, "I'm sorry for what happened between you two, by the way."

I nod at her, not really focusing on anything. "Pictures?"

She looks at me as though wondering exactly how mentally disturbed I am. "Yeah," she speaks slowly as though I had problems hearing her, "Pictures. You know, with a camera?"

I glare at her softly, "Yes, I know what a picture is. I just didn't know he kept any."

She rolls her eyes, again. "Of course he did, you _were_ his girlfriend." She's not looking at me as I tilt my head down, just enough so my famous pink hair hides my face.

"Yeah, I was, wasn't I?" I look to the ground as though it would tell me something.

"I'm ba—woah." Kukai holds the three ice cream cones awkwardly in his hands while standing even more awkwardly before us.

Some things never change, such as his unexplainable tendency to arrive in the worst way possible at the worst time that is normally thought to be impossible. However he manages.

Like that time when, never mind. Right, shutting up. Geez, how many times do I have to say that?

"Thanks," I nod to him as I grab my ice cream out of his arms. Utau doesn't even do that before she wrenches the cone straight out of his grasp without a word.

I'm not even a quarter of the way done before both of their ice creams are long gone. They're glaring at each other menacingly, yet playfully, while I just sit there trying to die or at least disappear.

"They're crazy, aren't they," someone tells me. I look back to see the Fujisaki Nagihiko standing without a care in the world behind me.

"So you're not sick?" I ask him accusingly, ignoring the still bickering pair in favor of talking to someone who would actually listen.

"I never said that," he leans on a nearby water fountain before looking to my group of misfits. "Let me guess, science?" He looks to me to make sure he's right before continuing, "You've got quite the group."

I shrug my shoulders. "You could say that about any group in our school."

"Touché," he grins before turning away. "I'll see you in orchestra, right?" He waves goodbye before leaving my view, and leaving me with the still-bickering group.

"I'm telling you, I finished the ice cream faster!" They argue with each other, leaving me to just stare between the two.

"Would you two just shut up?" I sigh before they allow a momentary silence to grace the area.

"No thanks, Hinamori," Kukai grins at me before turning back to Utau.

"Hey! You should listen to her!" She's scolding him, while forgetting the fact that she's a hypocrite. I just shake my head as they launch into yet another heated debate.

"You know what, I'm just going home. It's getting late, anyway." I wave goodbye to the two, much like Nagihiko had done earlier, only to receive two rushed 'So longs!' before the two continue bickering.

_What a piece of work_, I think to myself as I walk into my house. Ami greets me with a grin before telling me that our parents aren't home yet.

I wave good night to her, glad that we can talk now, albeit very awkwardly. I fall onto my bed tiredly. After all, just watching the two bicker today had made me tired out of my wits. It's only 9:30! I mean, really? Early much?

Nonetheless, I fall asleep. Completely clothed in my day clothes still, and nearly dead to the world. I wonder how they do it, seeing as I've fainted with just _watching_ their fighting. I mean, really?

Yawn.

**TBC**

**I've just noticed how very slowly this plot is developing. ._. Heh, hope I don't bore any of you to death, right?**

**Thanks for the 169 reviews! :) You guys = awesomeness.**

**Anywho, thanks bunches. And, finally, you've got the background on Yaya and Tadase!**

**As usual, review and I'll update ;) (Actually, don't review and I'll update, but you don't need to know that)**

**Right, anyway…**

**Actually, there was no anyway o-o Bb R&R (lol, afterthought much?)**


	14. Chapter 14

"Amu, Amu! Someone is at the door for you!" Ami barges into my room.

"Umm, thanks," I sit up in my bed, still tired, before staring at her. It's been a while since she's stepped foot in the room, and she looks weird when she's just standing there. I mean, I'm all for being different, but her bright orange definitely looks off in my dark room.

Not that I'm paying any attention to that as I follow her down the stairs to the doorway, still in my wrinkly clothes from yesterday. Yawning, I pull open the door. "Who is it?" I ask with the full intention to slam the door once I have their name. You know, so I can look for them and kill them later.

"Hey, Amu-chi!" In front of me is an ever-ignorant girl who is bouncing on her tiptoes as she tries to peer into my house. "Was that your sister? She's pretty cute! I heard, I mean, I thought that you—" She starts to go on and on before I step out of the house and shut the door behind me.

I wipe my eyes in annoyance, "What are you doing here, Yaya?" I groan as I hold back yet another yawn.

She looks up at me innocently. "Didn't I tell you we were going to go tutor that kid today?"

I think back to Algebra class. In which I did nothing but pretend to be paying attention while I just dreamed of random things like…

Like random things.

I flush red in embarrassment. "Right, sorry, you did," I stumble over my words as I just nod vigorously at her, hoping that she doesn't get that I have no idea what she was trying to tell me that day during class.

She grins. "Alright!" She pushes me to my doorway, "Now go get dressed!"

I blush an even darker red as I nod at her and run up my stairs before pulling on a sort of punk dress with skulls sprinkled across the bottom hem. On my way back down I nod to Ami, who is sitting at the breakfast table while Mom and Dad cook, in my way of telling her that I'll be back eventually.

"Alright," she mumbles before turning back to my parents and then looking back at me. She shrugs as though trying to tell me 'I'm sorry'.

I shrug back, because I don't care.

"Hey! Welcome back! That took you a while! Anyway, I just found out who it was that we're supposed to be tutoring. I mean, can you believe that? We were supposed to find that the day of, but no! They changed it! I mean, what kind of idiots do that?" She's rambling as we start walking down the sidewalk. She'd decided that it was a lot better to get to know each other than to be stuck in, what had she called it, a 'stuffy box of flimsy metal fashioned into a death trap'.

Never look at cars the same again.

Anyway, so we're walking down the sidewalk when I remember what she was talking about, as in our having a different person to tutor than we thought.

"—And so I guess they're not really idiots because they were somewhat right," she's still talking to herself about how retarded or not retarded the people at school were when I stop and turn at her.

"Who is it that we're supposed to be tutoring?" I look at her, obviously expecting for her to know the answer. She just looks at me, as though thinking I would know.

"Um, well…" she looks off sheepishly before digging in her satchel hurriedly. "Yaya has the paper! I'll find it!" She pulls out a handful of white papers before smiling at me. "Tsukiyomi Utau!"

"Utau?" Shocked, I repeat the beautiful girl's first name. Not noticing the reason that I repeated her name, Yaya nods at me vigorously.

"Yeah, Utau. You should know her. I mean, she's so beautiful, and nice, and popular. Everyone, and I mean _everyone_ in the school knows her. Want to know a secret?" Not waiting for an answer, Yaya stand up so she can whisper in my ear as she also begins to pull me along again, "Utau likes Kukai!" She looks to me, as though expecting shock.

I try to pretend like it shocks me, I really do. Yet, when I look to her after she screeches out the information that I had threatened Kukai with before, all I can manage to utter out is a half-hearted "Oh."

"Oh?" She looks to me, "That's all you can say? I mean, they'd look so cute together!" Yaya squeals before dancing in circles, still walking forwards. "I mean, Utau's so beautiful and Kukai's so…" she trails off as she starts to walk forwards slowly.

_ Cute_. The words she wanted to say hang in the air between us as we look up to the grand house in front of us.

"You first?" She looks to me sweetly before gesturing to the doorway sort of expectantly. "Yaya's been keeping the silence away, so I was thinking that you could knock on the doorway just so that, you know, you wouldn't feel too useless or anything." Her eyes widen at me, "Not that you are useless, I mean. You know, just so that you feel like I'm not doing too much! Not that you're doing too little or anything, I mean… you know," she looks to me.

I sigh. "Yeah, I can." I wrap one finger around a strand of hair, unconsciously curling it as I walk closer to the open doorway.

I knock on the doorway, completely disregarding the fancy doorbell that they'd installed right to the left of me. Not because I really have anything against shiny doorbells, or fancy things. I mean, I don't mind that they spent that much money on such an incredibly useless object.

Actually, it's because when I came here once, when I'd just figured out that he'd moved here, Kukai and I rang that doorbell. We'd only rang it three times before Utau came downstairs and yelled at us for waking him up. She said that he was still in pain from the accident, and that the loud noise of the doorbell only made the pain worse on him.

Needless to say, we never came back. Or ever rang the doorbell again, but I guess that ringing the doorbell without coming back is kind of impossible, so it's quite logical that I'd never rang the doorbell again.

"What do you want?" The door swings open to reveal a cranky-looking Ikuto Tsukiyomi standing there with his hands stuck in his pockets, as though keeping them there would somehow prevent him from reaching out and knocking our heads together for annoying him this early in the morning.

I resist the urge to blush for the first time today, just because he's standing there with his shirt messily thrown on. I mean, geez! What's wrong with me today?

"We're here to tutor Tsukiyomi Utau," my voice is level and calm, the exact opposite of what I'm feeling right now. Actually, right now I feel as though I'm about ready to burst from a mix of pretty much everything bad in the universe as well as from sugar-overload.

Why is that not included in 'everything bad in the universe'? Well, anything sugar-related can never be bad, or at least that's what Yaya had been saying on her way with me to come over here.

Ikuto just looks at both of us, obviously annoyed. He sighs before opening the door wider, "Come in, then." His voice is cold, nothing like what I'd used to hear his voice like, when I actually knew him.

"Thanks Tsukiyomi-san," I nod to him before walking past him into the building. Yaya, still smiling slightly, rushes in after me.

"Wow! This is beautiful! I mean, not that I thought it wouldn't be beautiful, but the way everything is just here!" She twirls around before laughing and stumbling dizzily. "I mean, wow!"

I smile slightly at here before I hear the groggy teenage boy about to leave us down here alone. "I'll call Utau to come down here," he tells us before turning to me specifically. On his face is a smirk. By a smirk, I mean _the_ smirk that he always has pasted on his face. "Ikuto," he tells me before turning away.

This time I couldn't help but let the blood rush up into my face as I stare to where he used to be. After all, I don't just call anyone by their first names. It shows a sort of closeness, or familiarity.

_Dang_, I sigh before hearing the quick footsteps falling down the stairway which show that Utau has arrived. _How can he still have this sort of effect on me, when he doesn't even know who I was?_

"Hi Utau! I know who you are! I bet you don't know me, though. I'm Yaya Yuiki. That's Y-a-y-a Y-u-i-k-i! Don't you think it's weird, I mean, I think it's weird. I think it's weird that my name is spelled like that. Anyway, Amu-chi and I are going to help you with math! I mean, you said you needed help, right? So here we are! I mean, here I am. Amu-chi is right there," she points to me before breathing in deeply, as though she'd said everything with just one breathe.

Utau doesn't look overwhelmed by the short and overactive girl. Only, she looks a bit disturbed by the girl's obviously active thinking and also her permanent sugar rush. "I've heard of you," she growls before looking to me with a smirk.

"Long time no see, Amu," she tells me. I can see the playful nature dancing in her eyes.

"Long time, yeah," I let sarcasm slip into my words before I sit down tiredly on one of their sofas. "So, what did you need anyway, Utau?"

I look to the girl who just shrugs at me before pulling out the math worksheet assigned to us last Thursday.

"I just don't get how you get to the answer," she admits with a huff before turning away. Obviously, although I know she'd never admit it, Utau is extremely embarrassed by her math skills (or lack thereof).

I just smirk at her.

Yaya grins. "Well, you know what, Yaya knows math. You know, that's one of the few subjects that I'm good at! So I'll help you!" She scoots closer to the worksheet before pointing out a few steps in particular and then scribbling down a bunch of random numbers that I can't see from here. I just watch the two talk to each other, Yaya happily and Utau with a sort of forced tolerance, while I just hold back my discomfort.

Once a third wheel, always a third wheel.

Then Utau catches my eye. She looks to me with pleading eyes before mouthing the words 'HELP' and crossing a single finger across her throat before making a gun with one hand and shooting it off at the other girl.

I laugh at her.

Suddenly, a new voice comes in from behind me. It has a teasing lilt to it, and I realize that it no longer sounds so very annoyed, as it had this morning.

"Really?" it whispers in my ear, "aren't you supposed to be doing something?"

For some reason, the hidden words are the only thing I hear. Instead of immediately hearing the words that he'd said out front, I hear two extra words (that you can probably guess).

I screech before turning around on my seat and looking to the boy before falling down in my chair quickly. "No!" I scream at him, unaware of our newly gained audience of two teenage girls.

"I think you should be," he leans closer to me, "Amu."

**Done! TBC**

**Will update soon, etc etc. Thanks for the reviews! So close to 200! O-o**

**Do me a favor and wish me luck at the track meet tomorrow? Running the one mile (Distance medley relay)**

**Thanks much for reading! **


	15. Chapter 15

I huff, ignoring the fact that I want to blush for the fifteen-billionth time today. "I know you're wrong," I turn to look at him, "Tsukiyomi."

He pouts playfully, pulling on my arm so that I not only fall into his lap, my face in his chest, but also so I flail wildly. "Come on," he whines as he stares at me (sort of creepily).

Suddenly, I hear a loud squeak that blatantly reminds me of the other two in the room. I look up to see Yaya sheepishly grinning as Utau just smirks.

"Hey Ikuto," Utau drawls, not letting her smirk fall off of her face as she stands in front of us. Ikuto responds by pulling me closer, much to my dismay, and I only utter a small "help" that goes unnoticed by everyone.

Yaya is jumping happily when everything quiets down again. "You know," she leans closer to my ear, though I don't blush like I do when Ikuto does (don't read too much into that, he's a boy). "You two would look cute together," then she backs off, still grinning. She looks around to check if Ikuto was still there, but can't find him anywhere. "Like, very cute. As in 'Omahgosh! Best couple ever cute. Like, I wish I could find someone as perfect for me as he is, cute. Like—"

"I agree," Utau glares at the blabbering girl, effectively shutting her up. Quickly she starts to push us out, her face betraying how very bored she was in this current situation. "But you've got to go anyway," she looks to me with a sad smile before reverting to her normal bored self.

"Alright! See you later Utau-chi!" Yaya yells, her smile somehow transferring with her happy words before she turns around to look at me with a grin. "I've got to go, see you later Amu-chi!" She's already rushing off before I have the chance to tell her bye.

I sigh, pushing hair out of my eyes absentmindedly as I stare at her retreating figure. "Bye," I whisper to myself before walking slowly down the steps of their house, absently nodding to the foreboding structure before walking slowly to the forest.

I feel myself humming before I finger a necklace hanging around my neck. It's been there for so long that I've forgotten that it was hanging around my neck.

_"Neh, neh, Ikuto?" I stare up at him as he wraps his hands behind me. Now thirteen, I try turning around to face him completely, but he keeps me completely still before snapping the object in place._

_ I turn around, forgetting to look at the object in my haste, and glare at him. "What's the big idea?" I feel hurt as I stare at the boy who only smiles softly in return. "You ignore me for weeks, and then come back and expect that some object will make me happier? Who do you think I am?"_

_ He's still smiling, or smirking, sadly as he traces his finger near my lips absentmindedly. "You're Amu Hinamori," he tells me happily before turning my head to face him, "And I can always hope."_

_ I'm a little surprised. After all, he's not teasing me in the slightest as he pulls me into a hug. "Right," I sarcastically reply before trying to pull out of his embrace._

_ He holds me there tightly. "Yep," his whisper sends tingles down my spine as he leans closer and closer so that I can feel his breathe fleetingly brushing against my ear. Then he looks downwards towards one of my more…_

_ Yeah, I flail. "Ikuto! Don't look there!" I try hitting him as he just chuckles and grabs my hands, holding me at a distance._

_ "You didn't even look at it yet, did you?"_

_ It takes me a minute to realize that he wasn't looking at my breasts (however small they may be. Yes, I admit it, sue me), but at the object that he'd strung around my neck on a string._

_ "You know, I would get you a chain, but I forgot it on my way here, and I couldn't really take to much longer." It's an excuse, but I take it absentmindedly as I look to the necklace._

_ "It's…" I struggle to find words to describe the lock now held in my hands. A four leaf clover for luck, four hearts for good measure, and a lock to keep me held up, the pendent is absolutely stunning to me._

_ "I know it's ugly, and probably not worth it," he looks to me absently, shrugging as though none of this matters to him anyway, "but I had to get _something_. I mean, one year, right?"_

_ I squeal, tackling him in a hug before he can even react to a thing I was saying. "I _love_ it!" I repeat those words over and over again, as though it takes him that to make him understand the words enough._

_ He chuckles, wrapping his arms around me as well. "I know," he's cocky, I'm sure, but there's a sense of relief that I catch in his voice, as though he'd not been sure about his choice._

_ "Come on," I poke him to make sure that he's listening, "We both know that I hate it at heart."_

_ He just rolls his eyes and pulls out his violin case. I've grown accustomed to his having the instrument wherever he went, after he'd started playing it again. He just ignores my jibe as he pulls on a sort of key-chain that he'd attached. "I've got your key," he whispers to me huskily. The way he says it, the words sound suggestive, and I squeak._

_ "Hey!" I scream at him, pulling back with a blush flush across my face. He just smirks at me before walking along farther. "You never told me why I couldn't see you!"_

_ He just shrugs at me, still walking, as I hurry to catch up with him. "How'd you think I got the two pendants?"_

"You know, you should be paying attention in the woods," I hear a voice interrupt my thoughts. I turn on my heel to see the one and only funny girl, Mashiro Rima.

"Oh, hey Rima-chan," I revert back to my old nickname for her without really meaning to. I don't bother to correct myself, because I know that I'm already doomed if she doesn't agree with the use.

She just nods in acknowledgement to me.

"And of course I was paying attention," I defend myself before crossing my arms over my chest. I look to the girl, not quite sure how someone as pampered as she was would feel so very at home in such a wild place.

As though sensing my gaze, she turns towards me harshly. "You want to know why I'm here right now," she states bluntly. I just stare at her as she gestures towards the woods.

"You ever wonder what it's like to be yourself?" She looks toward me as though she already knows what my answer will be.

I look to her before nodding slowly, as though it makes a difference, because she'd know what I felt anyway. She just sort of looks at me sideways before continuing,

"I did too."

I look at her, questioning why she would be telling me this without actually asking her anything.

She sighs. "You know, you're not the only one who feels like you do," she nods at me slightly. "We're all like it at one point or another."

I remain silent, waiting for her to continue.

"The only difference is that you're too wrapped up in your own fantasy that everything in your life has gone wrong, that you fail to realize that you're not as special or different or pathetic as you make yourself out to be," she stops to look at me, "Okay, so maybe you are as pathetic as you think you are."

I just smile, because I know that this is her sick and twisted way of telling me that she cares. "Right, thanks, Rima-chan."

She sighs, walking out of the woods hurriedly. "Yeah, whatever."

I don't realize that I fell asleep until I wake up in a tree that I've been perched in after Rima left. Below me, someone is absently walking throughout the forest. They make too much noise for me to stay asleep happily.

"Shut up!" I growl before I realize that the person below me didn't know that I was there before I said something.

"Excuse me?" The voice is sickeningly polite as it asks for me to reveal myself, although not directly asking me this.

With a start, I realize who this is. I mean, it's Tadase Hotori. He's the one who can ask the most annoying questions in the most annoying way, without actually asking it, and also when being too polite for most people to complain.

"I said, 'Shut up!'. And, I'd imagine you should if you want to leave this forest alive," I allow for the threat to seep in before I look to him, "Not that that's a threat or anything."

_Because, you know, if it was a threat, he'd already be dead._ He just looks to me before his eyes widen slightly. "Wait, you're that violist?" It sounds more like a question than a second, but I just nod and roll my eyes.

"Why yes, Captain Obvious, I am."

He sputters, searching for words to say, and failing miserably.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'll be leaving now," I brush him off easily, jumping down from the tree easily before walking off easily. "See you in school," I tell him.

He nods stupidly behind me.

Geez, what is with me and running into people that I'd much rather not run into?

Suddenly I collide into someone.

"Didn't I just see you yesterday?" Someone pulls my limp hand up before I bring myself to look at the person in front of me.

"Yeah, much to my dismay," I growl at the girly boy before me as he just smiles happily (or not too happily, I can't really tell).

**TBC (Cause I have to do my geometry homework… hehehe…)**

** Right. Thanks for all the good luck! :) IDK how fast my mile was, though. Whatever it was… it was around 6:55…**

** Right. Anyway, thanks for the reviews! And, two of you asked this question… so I'm posting my answer on here.**

** What were those two words Ikuto said? Well, I left that open to your imagination :) I didn't really want to tell you people.**

** Anyway, what I was thinking ended with "me" .**

** 203 reviews! Wootwoot! :)**

**Should update soon! (Next chapter has the letters. If you want, I'm still open to other characters… So far the people I'm writing letters for are:**

** Kotomi (from Kotomi Blood – Angel of Light)**

** And Syran and Angel (from starlightmint72)**

**Thanks much all!**


	16. Chapter 16

I stare at the cross-dresser in front of me tiredly. I'd had enough of these random (and very annoying) run-ins to last me a life time this weekend, and I'd rather not prolong this one at all.

"Are you saying you want me to go?" He looks towards me somewhat playfully, almost taunting me to admit to wanting him to go.

_Exactly_, I laugh nervously, "Of course not," I lie. I pull my hair into rings around my finger as I will him to go away. Actually, I'm hoping that he'd suddenly trip and die of a heart attack because of something random, but I suppose that's too much to ask.

He just smiles at me again, "So you wouldn't mind if we talk for a bit, then?"

I twitch. I swear, he's just teasing me with his words. He obviously knows that I don't want to be here. "Not one bit," I clench my fingers into a tight fist behind my back, flinching as my fingernails dig into my skin.

"So," he seems to be searching for something to talk about, "did you guys pick a piece to play yet?"

I shake my head.

He thinks again, "Did we do anything in orchestra?"

I shake my head again.

"Did Ikuto-san and Tadase-san get along?" He jokes.

I tilt my head at him, questioning his sanity.

"Right," he stops to think, "did we do anything in language arts?"

_Besides sit around learning about how to spell, nope._ I shake my head as he keeps walking forward. Except, he only leaves me behind.

_I didn't know he knew,_ I stare at him in shock as he only looks back at me, stopping also.

"Did I do something wrong?" Simple kindness is the only thing I can find in his tone. It seems as though his smile wavers, though that could just be a trick of the light. Instead, his smile just slightly moves closer to becoming just a straight line.

"Uh, you?" I look to him, confused, "No."

He just allows for his smile to stretch more. "Good! I wouldn't want to make you sad. I mean," he looks to me knowingly, "you always seem so down now. Is there anything I could do?"

Shocked, I allow for my jaw to drop down. "Uh," I mumble, searching his face for something—anything!—that will tell me that he's only poking fun at me. That he's joking.

All I find is kindness, and a spark of sadness that matches my own. "It's alright if there isn't, just know that I'm going to help you I mean," the sadness is gone now, and he just grins again, "wouldn't want your hair to go dull. Did you know it did that?"

I shake my head, wondering what he was getting at.

"When someone completely loses hope, your hair dulls," he tells me, "because your hair is still bright, I think you still have some sort of happiness!"

I can't believe he believes in me so much. He thinks I'm so much stronger than I actually am.

How is such a thing possible? He hardly knows me, yet, by looking at my hair, he believes in me?

I look to my side to look at the happy boy next to me, only to notice that he's not there anymore. I stop, so I can look for him (not that I want him to be there, but it's kind of weird for him to disappear like that).

"This is your stop, right?"

I look around. It takes me by surprise that we'd gone anywhere, mostly because I hadn't been paying enough attention to realize that we were going anywhere at all.

Then it takes me by surprise that he knew where I live.

I turn to him, placing my hands firmly on my hips. "How do you know my address?"

He just shrugs before turning away, as though to say that it's a secret. And a secret it's bound to stay, as I am left to ponder the wonder that is his knowing anything about me. For a second, I'm inclined to believe that he's just a stalker who follows me around for the heck of it. Yet, after that, I remember that I'm a nobody, so no one would want to stalk me (at least, no one sane).

"It's a secret," he tells me as he walks away. With a single wave he quickly turns around a corner and out of my sight.

_What a strange cross-dresser_, I shrug my shoulders before walking up to my doorway. I open it to a silent home, noticing a small note on the island table.

I sort of want to start slamming my head onto the table, maybe in a sad effort to rid myself of the stupid reality that nothing ever changes. I mean, I finally get to where I can actually talk to my sister, and my parents still whisk her away to who-knows-what.

I sigh before stalking up the stairway to my room. Quickly I pull out a few pieces of paper and begin to write.

_You think you say,_

"_Forget about me"_

_Forget about me, just me, just please_

_And day by day_

_You hear my scream_

_I scream yet you don't come to me_

_I'm lost, I'm hurt_

_By you and your pride_

_But you just go on living_

_Not by my side_

_It's only those who're worth_

_Life who die_

Dear Tsukiyomi Ikuto,

You must think you're smart, don't you. You must think you're some kind of child-genius. Some sort of prodigy! I know better. Actually, everyone knows better. You're nothing but a fool. A fool, a fool, a fool.

Then you have the nerve to tell me I'm dumb? I swear, the nerve of you and your…

Right, got to handle this like an _adult_. See what I did there? I just completely mocked you are your stupid ideas even more than you manage to insult yourself. Funny, right? No? Well, it makes me laugh. That's enough for me.

Rambling, right? Well, grown up people with matters have the right to ramble. You, however, are the true kid. I mean, insulting me on paper? Honestly, it should be obvious enough who I am. How could it not be obvious? I mean, _hello_, look around the classroom, genius! You're bound to be able to automatically narrow down possible – suspects?—suspects. I mean, first of all, I'm not a guy.

Gasp. Shock. The horror (you have no idea how often I'm saying this lately…). Unless I'm like some cross-dresser. Yes, there is one in the school. Actually, you used to know that he was a cross-dresser. Right, in the past, on subject. Anyway, he likes someone, so it's obviously not him.

Right, so I'm a girl. And you're an idiot!

Okay, sorry. I'll stop. I understand that it's just downright rude to point out flaws in other people, no matter how obvious and pitiful.

Okay, sorry, again. I'm obviously not making this better. By now you must be wondering 'why is she being so mean this time?'.

Well, it obviously has nothing to do with that wonderful note that you gave me. It's downright fantastic!

If one drastically changes the definition of 'fantastic' and pretty much everything that makes this world sane. I mean, seriously?

Jerk.

You know what else doesn't make sense? No? Maybe I should help you, I think I should, at least.

Let's try this. I hate you, yet I never want to see you again. I love you, yet I think that if I see you one more time I'm going to have to kill someone, preferably myself. I miss you, yet if we're ever reunited, truly reunited, I will deny ever knowing you.

That, Tsukiyomi Ikuto, does not make sense. Needless to say, your problem is pretty insignificant of a problem, when compared to everything else. Just like me! Maybe that's why your problem doesn't matter. I mean, it involves me. That's only simple logic.

Heh. Thanks. I should've known. I mean, thanks for this. Right.

Cause.

Y'know, for a moment. Not too long, though, just a moment.

I just thought…

I mean, like, hoped. Wondered? Is that right? Something like that. I imagined.

Or maybe I hoped that I imagined. Or imagined to wonder, or hope, or something of the like.

I mean, I'd hoped that even I wasn't too broken. Yet, a broken heart can't really be fixed, lest by the one who broke it. That's right, correct?

Now, now I must take my leave. Why? Even a broken heart has a life.

Thanks, you know. I mean, thanks for nothing.

The Broken (Hearted)

_PS: I mean, wake up_

_Wake up from your dreams of everywhere_

_Your dreams of forever_

_Or dreams of a life_

_Where trouble just goes, by and by_

_Don't forget that I'm nothing but you_

_Nothing but a piece of you_

I glare at the letter in front of me, sort of unimpressed with myself. This isn't something that I like to do, not that I really have a choice, anymore. There's only so much of nothingness that a single person can take before everything bursts like a big bubble.

I don't like proclaiming myself as broken, although I know that I am. I don't like pretending that I'm sure of myself, although I once was. I don't enjoy putting everyone through the kind of confusion that I've been through, but it helps for me to realize that I'm not alone.

Excuses. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

I feel water slowly drifting down my cheeks, and I automatically know what they are. They're tears.

Yet, that's funny. I don't feel sad. I just feel like I normally do.

Alone.

And here I thought that I was getting better.

I let a strangled sob push itself out of my throat. It hurts for me to even make that sound, but I couldn't help it. It's like everything, everyone…

I wasn't wrong, was I? If Rima-chan didn't forget then would others know? If Utau recognized me from Ikuto's pictures, then could others?

Why did Ikuto even have pictures?

Another sob, and I feel even more tears racing down my cheeks. The salty water makes my cheeks feel dry, as though they hadn't touched water in forever. Yet, my tears still flow like rivers down my cheeks.

I should've known. Ikuto isn't one so easy to make forget. But pictures? Why keep pictures of one you don't know?

The silence in the house makes my cries echo. It seems the mere purpose of this building to make me feel so useless. A house for four, yet it only ever carries two families. Never do the two meet.

A family of three, and one of two. One just happens to be caught up in the middle of the two.

The sky outside darkens, as though acting as a cover for my tears. The window of my room still open, I pull myself up.

_Who is Hinamori Amu, if not strong?_ I prompt myself, taunting myself.

_Who is Hinamori Amu, if not able? _I drag myself to get clothes to sleep in, pulling myself into the shower. My tears still running, I strip to take a shower before stepping onto the cold marble tiling that came with the shower stall.

My tears mix with the shower water, as though telling me that I can hide this. Water can hide within itself, and so can I.

I breathe out heavily, washing myself down with soap while still calming down.

_I can do this_, I turn the shower off, dripping with water before toweling down and dressing in pajamas.

_This? This is nothing_, I lay onto my bed over the bed covers.

_After all…_ I feel myself losing myself to unconsciousness. My tears leave marks down my cheeks, but slow down so I can see the darkness of my room completely.

_What can I do_ _if not handle being broken?_

**~*Morning*~**

I look up, or try to look up, as soon as I wake up. Today, sadly, is just another day of school.

Yet, I can't manage to look up. It hurts to move my eyelids at all. I pull a hand to my cheek, tracing the lines still left by my tears.

And here I always thought that it was impossible to truly cry yourself to sleep.

I sit up in bed to look around my room. Even though it's well into the morning (in my opinion), the sky outside is still dark. I don't reach for a light, though, as I get completely off of my bed.

_Another day_, I pull the sheets up as far as they could reach. Continuing this, I make my bed. It's only after this that I turn on a light.

I immediately pull a hand up to my face as the light turns on. It hurts even more to look, now that the water magnifies the already-bright light straight into my eyes. Annoyed with my current situation, I rush into the bathroom connected to my room.

I look terrible. And, by terrible, I mean worse than horrible, which is how I normally look. My eyes are bloodshot, ringed with red from crying all night.

Beautiful.

I wish that mirror would disappear (into a hole, with all of those other things that I've sent there to die). At least then I could be in a state of denial. I mean, I don't have to admit to looking like a complete and total freak.

"Look at yourself, Amu," I mumble to myself, pulling at my skin before heading out of my bathroom to get my clothes. "Aren't you beautiful?" The sarcasm in my statement would be obvious even if my voice didn't hold the tone.

I switch into my school clothes. I don't really want to go, but I know that I must if I want to actually make something of myself.

Another day, here I come.

**Phew! Sorry that I didn't update for a long time! I had finals last week and, me being me, forgot that I can't really be online long enough during that week. So, sorry!**

**Good news? Well, here are the letters that you asked for!**

Woop! Here they are!

Dear Kotomi (for Kotomi Blood – Angel of Light)

Wow! Imagine my surprise: a nobody who actually manages to pretend to be a somebody! I mean, you hang out with them enough, right?

Hotori Tadase… you do realize that nothing good will come of this, right? Those popular people, all they do is play games on hearts that are so frail that a single break will rupture one's whole being. It's nothing that a nobody can take.

No matter what you do, you're still you. You're still that same little girl who let everybody push her around physically. Now you're just a little girl who lets everyone push her around emotionally. You let them make you who you are. What kind of person is that? You're not that person that they think you are, admit it. I mean, honestly, you're not even who you think you are.

Stand up for yourself, alright, sweetheart? You've got some spunk down in you. I swear, just standing there hoping to be rescued? New flash, nobody is coming. You're all alone. Get over it. Get over yourself. Get over Saaya. Get over this sad little fantasy that you've created in which you're some sad victim.

We're all victims of reality, genius. No, we're all victims of life. Eventually, we're all victims of death. Victims! We'll be victims our whole life!

Who in their right mind would possibly accept this? Not me! Imagine, the insanity. Even I, the worse of all nobodies, refuses to be told that something has gone wrong in my life, that something has dealt me a worse hand.

We've all got our burdens. It's nothing new, nothing old. Get it? We've got reality, and it's all we've got. All we'd ever got.

Get it? No? Too bad, it's the truth. Does it make you sad? The truth hurts. Honestly, grow up.

Speaking of growing up, seems like someone has a crush. You like him? Do you like him a lot? Would you do anything for him?

Lies. You won't even stand up to a single girl who stands in your way.

Is it because you're shy?

He is, too. I am, too. Yet, here I am. I make something of myself! Yet you, all you make of yourself is a mess. A mess of a girl who quakes in fear of a reality coming up. A mess of a girl who loves a guy that has only seen her when she was stuck in this mess of a fantasy that she's spun up.

A mess of a girl who is afraid of a single girl who likes him too. New flash, she's a freak! Like, she's a somebody and a freak.

You know what that means?

No? Well, it certainly doesn't mean anything good. Actually, it's quite bad of a thing. I mean, she's just some sort of excuse for a sophisticated person. Honestly, how low can you get?

Well, obviously lower. There's still you: the girl who is scared of the excuse. The girl who won't stand up for herself.

At least I have my shame, but you? You don't. You have no shame. You have no pride.

The Broken (Ego)

_Rawr_

Dear Angel (for starlightmint72)

Have you ever felt that type of sadness before? That kind of sadness that saps your whole soul, as though really getting rid of everything that you know of? That feeling that you've been corrupted by someone else's betrayal?

No? I suppose that's because you were on the other end. The end that caused everyone else to feel horribly. What? You expected me to be kind? You tell me that you weren't at fault?

You were. Now, now you're at fault for even more. Now you realize that everything is getting worse. Who's fault is it?

Yours?

Now, I don't like to point fingers, but I'm sure that it is. I suppose this makes you feel useless? Makes you feel horrible, right? Makes you feel like everything in your life is only an attempt to make you give up on everything. You feel as though your very being is against the will of everything.

Angel, you're no angel, are you? You probably don't even deserve the title of human.

Are you? Are you human, I mean. Do you not know?

I know you are. Do you want to know why? It's because you're so flawed, you're the type of imperfect that can only be found in the horrible species that happens to be _Homo Sapien_.

That's nerd for human, by the way.

Anyway, you attempt to redeem yourself. You can, don't worry. You can always be better than everyone else thinks they are.

Keep trying. I mean, eventually, you've got to get there.

The Broken (Lifetime)

_Meow_

Dear Syran (For… starlightmint72),

You know, I don't get you. Let's say that straight out. I really don't get you. You're a rival of hers, yet you always try to help her. What is with that?

Hers, right. You know who she is. After all, you'd accepted the call to help her.

Do you not know what to think? Maybe it's just that sense of competition between you two. The way you always want to be better than her.

You do realize that this breaks apart so many people. I can tell, you know? I can tell that you're only drowning yourself in whatever you call this—jealousy.

It's weird, you know? What is with that?

I suppose I shouldn't question you too much. I don't know you well enough.

Not that I want to know you. Not that I really care.

Not that any of this makes sense to you. After all, you only care about that competition? Do I make you seem shallow?

Or maybe you are?

Genius. Do these questions confuse you? I don't think that they should, they're not hard questions. Actually, they're easy. Yes or no. You can make it in a second.

But do you want to?

The Broken (Questions)

**Well, wasn't that fun! More good news? Well, someone once asked me how Kukai and Utau met, so here you go!**

Holy cow, it's a side story! (Shut up…) Right, on with the story!

She looks at the school, obviously unimpressed. It looks just like any other. Even the school colors were the same at her whole school.

_Pathetic_, she scoffs, but also knows that she has to go here. After all, it's where her brother goes to school.

_He hasn't quite been the same since then_, she sighs before looking up. After all, she's a popstar, she has to be confident.

_Wait, they don't know that, _she gets confused by her own thoughts, blonde hair flowing in the wind as though acting of a mind all its own.

Meet Tsukiyomi Utau or, as she is most known as, Hoshina Utau. She's a teen sensation, although she'd much rather be known as just another teen. Her brother stays here at this school.

_Speaking of my brother, I hope that he's alright…_ she thinks back to the blue-eyed boy. Said boy's name is Ikuto, and he'd gotten in an accident a year earlier, and had lost all of his memories. Only now was Utau able to come here, and only as herself.

_Not that I'm complaining_, she breathes in deeply before pushing the doors open. The only acknowledgement of awestruck students that she makes in shown as a scoff in their direction, but they'd come to expect that from the girl. She plans on making a name of herself in this place, although it would have nothing to do with being a popstar.

"H-hey! I have to get- back- to-" a panting boy is excusing everyone out of his way as he races through the hallways. Utau, however, refuses to succumb to the boy. It's not like she's some sort of doll that one can move away at will.

Later, she wouldn't be able to tell anyone exactly what happened, only that one second she was standing up, and the next she was about ready to kill the boy in front of her. Only, he jumps up before she can.

Nervously, he scratches his neck. "Sorry about that," he's still panting, but he's a lot calmer now. A crooked grin quickly finds its way onto his face as he stares at the girl before him.

Meet Souma Kukai a clueless jock and, as Utau would later find out, the best clueless jock on the soccer team.

He tries to pull up the girl he'd left him down, but she quickly shakes off his hand. "It's fine," she growls, getting up herself. She turns away, as though expecting for him to move away without thinking of this, but she's wrong. Instead, he matches her growl.

"You could at least say sorry!" He's suddenly spinning the girl around to look at him, anger flashing in his eyes. Yet, her anger matches his as the two fires dance in unison.

"You already did!" She feels the need to push him, and so she follows her need. He's not on the ground, but he still stumbles away from her.

"Doesn't mean that you shouldn't!"

"Of course it does!"

Any restrictions Kukai had had about hitting a girl is completely gone as he launches himself at the girl he didn't even know the name of.

"Kukai Souma!" A new voice interrupts the fight between the two, causing both to look at the new figure. Kukai immediately recoils at the sight of the strong figure, yet Utau doesn't seem to know who it is.

She's about to yell before Kukai pulls on her arm, "calm down, that's the principal!"

She visibly tenses at the information before backing down and standing next to Kukai to face the principal. Both look tense as they wait for any punishment to come.

The principal only blinks before laughing. "You must be Utau! Both of you," he addresses both of them, "come with me! Kukai will be your guide for today, as compensation for his rude behavior," the principal instructs Kukai sternly, knowing that Kukai would ditch as soon as he thought nobody was paying attention.

Although he'd wanted to ditch or yell, Kukai just nods. After all, the way he saw it, this new girl—Utau—might be the only one who can really stand up to him.

Utau stares at the boy – Kukai—with fake boredom. _Actually, this seems kind of fun_, she smirks at the boy, allowing for any thoughts about Ikuto to leave her thoughts, for once.

Short! But sweet? I hope so! Heh, if anyone wants another short story, I'm up for it! Vacation! I have time to update, long updates too ;) Because it's spring break, and I'm just staying here.

Gracias

**Thanks for the reviews! 221 o-o Woooah… lol x) Heh… :D funneh**

**So many! You review more, yes? Any more short stories or letters you want? I'll put them in after the actual story! So, review, yeh?**

** I swear I'm back to my normal update schedule now. Thanks, again! **


	17. Chapter 17

**~*In the Car*~**

I don't see why I should bore you to death with the stupid details of how I got into my car, but I did. My parents and Ami were still nowhere to be seen, not that I really looked for them, and I simply don't feel like telling anyone what I did this morning.

So, you don't need to know how, but I did get to my car. Today, as usual, I'm running late. Except, I don't have to hurry to get there, anyway. Today is Monday, as in weekly '_Ikuto-skips-school-because-it's-too-boring'_ day. It used to be me, too, but that changed. Anyway, even the teachers don't expect for him to come to school, but he doesn't get in trouble.

Darn smart rich kid.

I don't pay much attention to the road as I drive, but I do attempt not to crash into anything. Another day at school means another day of pure torture.

I steal a glance at the clock, hoping that I'd missed too much of school that I'd missed the unsaid tardy window at my school. Apparently, the only one who is allowed to come to school later than one hour is Ikuto, and I'm not Ikuto.

Needless to say, if I miss one hour, I miss the whole thing.

I pull into the parking lot of the school as soon as I reach it. Most of the parking spaces are already taken up, so I have to park at the farthest part. _These people must do this to me on purpose,_ I sigh before shaking my head at the cruel world.

Maybe it would be better if the world were a mass murderer. Not only would I have a chance of dying, but the world would also be sentenced to death.

Ah, wonderful. If only more people were mass murderers.

Wait, no. Forget I said anything.

"Watch out!" Somebody, from behind, screams at me before running straight into my back, sending both of us tumbling straight into the harsh dirt. I feel the soil digging into my palms as I try to push myself up.

_Definitely on purpose_, I prepare a glare for the person that had run into me before getting ready to unleash it on them, until they speak again.

"Sorry Hinamori!" He's smiling goofily, and it shows in his voice. He's chuckling at me as he sends out a hand.

"Oh," I just look back at Kukai as he grins, "it's alright."

He just smiles, as he always does, before nodding to me. "Okay!" He then stops, as though thinking of something, "hey, Hinamori?"

I turn to look him in the eye as he seems to contemplate asking me something. Instead of saying anything, I just tilt my head at the boy talking to me, prompting him to continue with his question.

"Want to race?"

I blink, as though that would actually do anything to rid me of the confusion assaulting me right now.

It doesn't.

"Huh?" My jaw drops, but not in surprise (okay, so maybe a little in surprise). Actually, it was in more disbelief than anything. "Why ask me that?" I look at him expectantly, knowing that he'd answer my question.

He shrugs, "I want to know if you could still beat me."

Okay, now I'm confused.

"Wha—?" I continue to look at him, as though he'd lost any semblance of sanity he'd once managed to harbor. Instead, however, all I get is a chuckle from him.

"Yeah, a race. Last time you beat me," he's grinning.

Last time, when was that? That had to be a while ago. _A year, maybe. Beginning of freshman year?_

I look to him as though he holds the answer, but all he does is continue to chuckle and grin.

I put my hands on my hips, somehow gaining confidence in the gesture as I stand up straighter. "What do I get if I win?"

He grins, "Whatever you want."

I nod at him, "Alright."

Now, let me explain. Sure, we race 'for the race', as those sports enthusiasts put it. Yet, there's another thing we've always raced for. Doesn't matter what, but something. There has always been some other stake tied to the game.

"Ready?" He stands next to me, just standing still. It's understood between the two of us, in the only way it really can be understood between the two of us, that we're going to race to the eighth tree in a row.

"Set," I let the word out breathily, already dropping down so that my hands are flat against the dirt even more. The rocks in the soil start to poke at the places where I'd scraped it when I'd fallen down, but I ignore the pain.

I want answers, and if a race gives me it, so be it.

Ten seconds later, we take off. Neither say go, because we've always said that it just makes the runner go slower. Any talking does, really.

As soon as I kick off from the ground, as though a block was bracing my feet up instead of mere air, I feel the familiar feeling rushing through my veins. I've always said that sprinting feels like wind is rushing through your blood, like something that cannot be explained or contained.

Most people just call it adrenaline. Some people call it the thrill of running.

_I'm not letting him win this time_, I tell myself as I push to the limit. Lately, running had become one of my dearest friends. Actually, running had become my only dear friend, lately. That, and I have something on the line right now.

Answers. I want answers right now.

I pump my arms, hands straight out. I don't let them curl, although I want to near the end of the sprint, when I feel out of breath and tired. Instead, I just continue to run with them straight out, so that nothing can slow me down.

The tree bark digs into my hands as I leap straight to it. Right after my hand collides with the tree trunk, Kukai's follows.

I look to him as he's breathlessly panting beside me. "I'll be right back. I'll tell coach that you're training with me so you won't be counted absent," he tells me through gasps of air. There's a twinkle in his eye, different from the flame that he has when he's with Utau, that tells me that he hasn't had a run like that in a long while.

Honestly, neither have I.

I nod at him after he turns away to find the coach. As soon as he can't see anymore, I allow myself to collapse to the ground.

_So tired_, the words repeat in my head as though that would make the sinking feeling in my gut go away (or seem any less painful). Instead, it just makes the feeling multiply (exponentially, in fact), and makes me nearly die from not being able to lull myself to sleep.

From behind me, I hear a yawn. I look around, but Kukai still isn't back, so I just look behind me. The person behind me is none other than the famous truant smart rich boy, Tsukiyomi Ikuto. Taking a nap.

Oh, I hate irony. And life. Life should kill irony. That would make me happy.

"You shouldn't run if it tires you out so much," he's looking at me as I lay down on the ground with no ability to stand up. Instead of attempting to help me, he only walks over to me to smirk at me.

"You shouldn't sleep if that tires you out," I retort, mostly because he was yawning after a nap.

He shrugs, still smirking at me. "If you're wondering, heaving like that does not make your chest look any bigger," he gestures to where I'm still panting, causing my chest to rise up and down.

I feel my face heating up (which is quite embarrassing). _Idiot!_ I feel like screaming at him, but he's already leaving.

I find out why as Kukai screams out to me, "Hey Hinamori! I'm back!" He pulls out from behind him a letter from his coach. "They're asking you to join," he winks at me. "Now, what were the stakes?"

I just glare at him, feeling the need to scream. Obviously the boy is too dense to realize just what he's done to me since freshman year.

"You've got some explaining to do," my voice does not betray how tired I am from the run. In fact, I'm able to simply pull myself up from the ground as though it were nothing.

He sighs. "Explaining?" His smile falters as he pats a spot next to him. "Well, Hinamori, it's a long story."

I don't sit down, only tapping my foot. "Get talking."

He sighs, then opens his mouth to explain.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't mean to be so rude to him, and I'm sure that he meant nothing by acting that way to me. Yet, there are a few things influencing my act:

They're asking me to be on the soccer team. The freaking soccer team. As in, _the_ freaking soccer team that has Kukai Souma as it's captain.

Kukai Souma has been ignoring me

He didn't actually forget?

I'm freaking tired.

Right, you'd be annoyed and rude, too.

"Did you know that I have four brothers?" He starts off, as though not sure that he wanted to tell me.

I nod. Seriously, how could I not know?

"Well, you know how they've always been pushy. And so they found out that I was friends with a girl, and then they told my mom, how told my grandfather, who honestly isn't too keen on boys being friends with girls. So then he got mad, which got my mom and dad livid, which got my brothers annoyed, which got my parents mad, which completely killed everything. And then they told me that I couldn't be friends with you, and then they said I couldn't play soccer. And then my brothers all—"

I can't help it. It may seem like a weird thing for me to do, considering the boy had just told me that he'd given up being my friend for soccer, but I grin. Like, full-out gring.

"Glad to have you back," I tell him.

He grins back. "Yeah," then he looks at me, and says the words that I'd never expected _him_ to say. I mean, come on. He's not exactly the most keen at, well, anything but soccer, "but are you really that broken?"

**Blah. Sorry for short update, but I got pokemon today :) –heart-**

**Right. 233 reviews! Close to 250 =3**

**Heh, right. Next update will have letters and all. You know what, I'm going to put how Ikuto and Kukai met in that one, too.**

** Remember, you can always give me a character for me to write a letter to! :D**

**Right, so peace. So long.**

**Oh, and if you're wondering, Kukai went to tell the coaches to tell Amu's teacher that she was helping him train, and they ended up asking for her to join the team because she beat him :3**

**Heh. And there's Kukai's reason! Chapter 17, and 2 people know that she's "The Broken", and 3 (those two included) are revealed to remember Amu.**

**Wow. Alright, posting this. Please review? Like, pretty please?**


	18. Chapter 18

I stop and stare at him as he looks at me expectantly. "Huh?" I start shaking unconsciously, wondering if he'd said what I'd thought I'd heard.

"Are you?" He doesn't repeat the question, but it's enough for me. I know that I hadn't been spacing out.

I just stare some more. I don't find the need to answer his question, no matter how much he could possibly deserve an answer. "I won the race, you don't have a right to know," then I stop and look at him, "but tell me, how do you know?"

He pouts. "Come on! I have to answer, but you don't?"

"I won, pay up," I roll my eyes at him.

He sighs, an uncharacteristic serious demeanor settling. "I know you, Hinamori," then he looks back at me, "are you saying that I've never paid attention to you?"

I suck in a breath. Of course, it seems obvious now. For all his faults, there's nothing Kukai is, if not a good friend.

Who completely abandoned me because of his parents.

"Yep."

He just wraps me in a playful choke hold, ruffling my hair, much to my dismay. "You have to meet the coach, you do know this, right?"

I sigh, pulling out of his (rather disgusting and sweaty) hold so that I can start walking towards where I suppose the coaches are. "I do now," I glare at the ground, as though cursing it for letting me win.

Not that I didn't want to win, but whatever.

"Then lets go!" he screams at me before rushing off towards the opposite direction. It's almost as though he's sprinting again, although this time I can't keep up.

Darn him and his high endurance.

We stop near the coach, Kukai huffing from running, and me dead from being dragged (but not really, because it's a bad thing if I die).

"You're Amu?" The coach seems to be examining me closely from underneath glasses. To me, the man looks more like a couch potato than a coach, what with his rather high fat content (and that's putting it lightly), and the fact that he looks like he couldn't run a mile without running out of breath.

I stiffen under his gaze, wondering if it's disapproval or approval (and, after that, wondering which one I want it to be). He seems surprised, to say the least, at how I look. "Yeah," I force a smile onto my face.

He flinches. Apparently, I looked like I was grimacing, and not forcing my lips upwards in what I would only ever hope resembled something even partially happy.

"Show me what you can do." It's an order, and one obviously meaning for me to start running.

However, this is a free country, and so I can interpret said demand any way I please. Needless to say, I immediately flush from the possible underlying concept hidden in his words.

Kukai laughs, and it makes me wonder how he can always laugh stuff off no matter what. I'm still really red (and from _this_ guy, imagine!) while he chuckles incessantly.

If you're wondering, it's more embarrassed anger than anything. Right. No way I'd look twice at that excuse for a coach.

The bell rings, bringing a whole new meaning to the term 'saved by the bell'. Actually, now it's, 'I got saved by the bell from being in the same general area as such a hypocritical coach' now.

"Sorry, we've got to go to our next class," I start to drag Kukai away from the coach as he tries to stifle his laughs even more. I start shaking my head as I stop him right outside the locker rooms. "You, change," I wave towards the locker room as he nods his head enthusiastically. Quickly, he walks to the room, only taking a few minutes to zoom back out.

"Alright! Science!" He smiles happily before he drags _me_ around towards the dreaded classroom. We rush in exactly when Utau is about to enter the room.

I swear I can feel her glare on our backs as we sit in our seats at nearly the same exact time. She huffs before taking a seat near us, completing our circle of misfits as she resigns to glaring at the two of us.

_What's wrong with her_, I slink back into my chair as Kukai starts to stare at her, meeting her glare with a smile.

"Hey Tsukiyomi," he waves in her face as her glare only seems to intensify.

"Hey," her voice is as cold as her harsh glare.

I shiver, chilled by her stare. "Hi Utau," I hide my stutter in a pause as I try to slink even farther into my seat. All I know is that Utau currently isn't happy. And, if one were to hang around the school long enough, they would be able to find out that she's labeled as 'untouchable' for times like this.

She just scoffs before looking back at Kukai. "What were you two up to? Last time I checked you weren't in the same class for first period." The way she says it, it makes her words seem more like an interrogation, as though she were accusing us of something.

That's crazy. I mean, what is there possibly to accuse Kukai (Mister Cluless Jock) of doing with me (Miss Nobody herself)?

Nothing, that's what. Yeah, so I really can't see what could possibly be her problem.

He just stares back at her. "I was racing her," he grins before shooting me a thumbs up, "and then she got put on the soccer team!"

She just moves her head to the side abruptly, pouting. "So, about our science project…" she trails off before getting interrupted by someone clearing their throat at the front of the classroom.

The teacher surveys the room before opening her mouth to speak, "So by now, I'm sure you've all found enough information about the human brain, correct?" She's met by a chorus of assurance and 'yes's from the different students in her class. She smiles happily, as though proud of her class. "So I'll be assigning each group to a separate part of the brain," she looks around the room, as though to add suspense, "randomly."

The room erupts into half-hearted chatter, mostly full of groups hoping for the easiest part of the brain's actions to do for the project.

"Alright, so actions…" the teacher starts to read off names from a paper she'd picked up from somewhere on her desk. She goes through every known part of the brain as according to what they were connected to, and Utau, Kukai, and I keep waiting for our names to be called, but to no avail.

I growl, but stop myself from saying something. However, I can't say the same for either Kukai or Utau.

"What about—"

"Aren't you— "

They start at the same time before looking to each other with barely concealed glares. Yet, they tear their enraged gazes from each other (for once) to team up on the (very confused) teacher in front of them.

Then the teacher's eyes widen, and she opens her mouth in surprise. "Oh," she looks to the three of us before her eyes widen even more, "Oh!"

I feel like dropping my head in shame for the teacher. The way she's standing there is, honestly, dumb. They just stare at her at the same time with that same look on her face, as though asking 'how could you possibly do something that stupid?'

She just starts to go red in the face as she tries to look anywhere but at the two of them. When she meets my gaze, I shrug my shoulders while rolling my eyes, and she just looks away from me too.

It's as though she's searching some internal database on the brain, the way her eyes glaze over while she's still looking at both of us. She starts to stutter, although she doesn't seem to be paying attention to this before she snaps back to us.

"You'll focus on amnesia, while the other memory group will focus on storage," she tells us, as though this were some amazing revelation.

However, the reality was quite different. Instead, she now has three kids willing to kill her.

"There's no way I'm doing that!" Kukai and Utau scream at the same time before looking at each other in confusion.

"Why would you care?" Utau growls at Kukai, as though it were a crime to be against researching amnesia, even though she herself was against it. It mostly seems like she just doesn't want to have any possible connection from her to the soccer star.

He just looks confused, as though he wasn't quite sure why he screamed out either. He tilts his head curiously at her question, but he doesn't pay much attention to that, as he just looks back towards the teacher. At first, he seems to be sort of nonchalant because of the teacher. Then he starts to adopt one of the most angered looks I've ever seen on him.

But he doesn't say anything. Instead, it left to me to step up and look at the teacher. "Alright," I tell her, although I'm not happy about it. The teacher grins at me before clasping her hands together.

"Good!" She then turns back to the rest of the rather stunned class as she addresses all of them, "We're all going to start our research tomorrow." Her sentence is punctuated by the school bell ringing. The whole class rushes out of the classroom, chatting excitedly as everyone hurries to get out of this classroom.

_I can't believe that she had to choose that!_ I glare at the floor as I stomp down the hallway to the orchestra room. Yet, it could be worse. Honestly, I've always been curious about this.

How could something like a car crash make him forget about me? I mean, I know this might be a little cruel to expect for him to know that this is entirely his fault, but it is.

So I ask myself over and over again whether or not he actually cared about me. I mean, it can't be that easy for him to forget about me.

Before I know it, I'm in front of the orchestra room door. I already know that Ikuto won't be there and that Tadase will be there, but the only one that I'm not sure about is Nagihiko. So, I suck in a breath and enter the orchestra room.

"Hey Amu!" Before I know it, I'm right next to the cross-dresser himself as I happily walks over to me. Behind him, Tadase is seething.

"What'd you do to him?" I motion to the boy behind him, but he just shrugs. Now, usually the only one able to annoy Hotori Tadase to this extent is the truant, and seeing as he's not here it is impossible that this is the case currently right now.

Nagihiko grins rather suspiciously before 'innocently' and pointedly annoying the boy behind him. "Nothing."

Of course, I'd be stupid if I believed him, but I choose to simply shrug my shoulders at the boy's excuse. After all, I've hear worse explanations.

"So, you said you chose our piece?" I look to Tadase as he turns to me instead of at Nagihiko.

"Yes." He nods at me curtly before thinking of the song. "I'm quite sure you'll like it."

**Bwahaha! TBC :)**

**Mostly because I haven't thought of the song yet… -dies-**

**Right! Here it is, the next chapter :P**

**WOAH! Didn't expect to actually **_**get**_** 252 o-o**

**Heh, so thanks, you epic people ;)**

**Alright! As promised! Here are the letters!**

Dear Luna (For Honeystorm13),

Hello, fellow nobody! How are you this gloriously pitiful day? Bad? Why is that? Don't worry, you can be yourself around me.

If you even know what that means. Do you want to know? I doubt it. Hey, I doubt you even know what you want anymore. You and your freaking stupidity. All you do is pretend to be what you aren't, as though that brings upon any good in this world.

Lies. It doesn't. I'd bet that if you tried you'd be more than what you are right now.

You know, it's kind of funny. Usually, it's nobodies pretending to be somebody. But you? It's just strange with you. You're like that weird outlier to the only rule that's not supposed to be broken ever. You're like that weird figure who acts constantly in order to be seen as something they never want to be seen as.

In short, I have one thing to say to you: what is your problem? I mean, seriously. Here I am, and I thought I had some major issues. Yet, you make me seem completely and utterly sane.

Me! I mean, _wow_. It's like you have reached a whole different level of impossibility right there. Suddenly you've surpassed everyone else in—how should I put it?—suckage.

No, that is not a good thing in the slightest. Actually, you should be offended by that comment. Not that you'll let that show (actually, I'm slanted to believe that you only now are feeling offended, because I've told you that that's what a normal human being feels whenever they get insulted to that caliber).

Right, focus. Anyway, now that we've established just how much you suck, let's focus on something more important.

Like how much your priorities suck (do you see a pattern here?). I mean, hello? What are you aiming for?

It's obviously not what you want. You think I'm blind? I see the way that you want to be someone else; anyone other than who you've come to be seen as. I mean, the way you hold yourself seems to be pure repulsion for who you are. Honestly, how could I miss _that_?

I couldn't and don't. Truly, it's insanity. I don't see how other people can miss that. No, no, no. It's obvious, plain to even the naked eye.

Umm, hello. _No_, you're not okay with it. Wake up, wake up, wake up.

Because, let's face it, this current situation you're in sucks. Like, big time. Get it? No?

It does.

The Broken (Act)

Dear Kusunoki Nami (for yamihikari),

Ah, the wonders of high school logic. It's weird, how certain people have completely skewed priorities. Some, I've come to find, are skewed in completely different ways.

It's weird, you know, how nobody seems to be themselves anymore.

_I know who you are_.

Now, you can take that any way you please. Currently, I feel like any way that you take that statement would be correct. I really do know who you are.

Even all of your Usernames (and you have no idea how long it took for me to get all of those). Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a stalker.

I mean, who would want to stalk such a closet o~ta~ku?

Oops, you weren't supposed to know that I knew, were you? Actually, you weren't ever supposed to find out that I knew your name.

Ah, whatever. Things happen, we get over it. Like, what's this about you being scared about your high school standing?

I mean, come on! It's four years, at best. Four years that are always said to be the best years of your life (although they always seem to end up being the worst years of your life anyway).

Right, so why do you care? I mean, sure, popularity can make or break those years but, what gives? This is coming from a girl who's lived her whole life shaded in nothingness. I mean, it makes no difference for me.

Of course, I've never had a taste of popularity (or maybe I have, you don't need to know), so you can't say whether or not I'd know.

Whatever. I still think blocking out who you are for something as shallow as this is the stupidest thing I've heard today (which is something, considering I'm practically surrounded with stupid people constantly spouting off their stupid ideas).

So, no. I don't care who you are or who you want to be. Or how much popularity seems to matter to you, for that matter.

Suck it up, freak. There's the rest of us who'll never so much as look at popularity in the face, while you've shone with it. If they don't like you because of this, it's not worth it.

Or maybe I'm just jealous, who's to say?

The Broken (Anime)

Dear Hajiwara Ria, (for AmutoForever)

Let me start this off by telling you how stupid you are.

As in, down-right dumb, like seriously stupid, as in, disabled in the head stupid.

Now, why would I say such things to you? I don't know, you tell me, princess. I mean, you're the one who goes around like some sort of perfect robot all of the time. I mean, who's supposed to like you for not even acting human?

Okay, let me explain myself. I, am (top secret information has been edited out of the letter, please continue reading as though this never happened), and I happen to know that you've got a problem with friends.

Let's just define friend first, shall we? In my personal opinion, a friend is someone you've become emotionally attached to, who wouldn't give up on you, and who likes you for who you are. Someone who understands.

Just to be clear, is someone willing to randomly abandon you a friend.

I think not.

So should you care what they think/say/do/don't do?

I think not.

Okay, now that that's over with, we shall move on to the next topic, correct? Let's see… Ah, yes. Here it is.

You see this? These words? Okay, imagine the period. That's a your person's self esteem. Now, look at the whole letter's length. That, my dearest reader, is a normal person's self esteem.

You see, Ria, your self-esteem 'needs work'. And when I say work, I mean that it should be completely torn down and rebuilt from the ground up. As they say, 'it can only go uphill from here'.

Trust me. If you were going down any lower in belief in yourself, you'd already be there. Nope, this is it. Yeah, so congratulations. You've hit rock bottom.

Whoop dee doo. Have you been trying to get here? No? It's a rather horrifying place, I don't see why you wouldn't want to come here.

As in: Wake up, sleeping beauty. This is _Life_. As in, not some stupid fantasy that you've been living in for however long you've been living in it. Wake up and smell the sunshine.

You're pretty, and they don't matter, capiche? Repeat after me.

They don't matter.

They don't matter.

They don't ma—wait a second. That means I don't matter either…

Whatever, I already knew that.

The Broken (Oh my gosh, are you still reading this?)

**Yawn. Okay, so I was procrastinating on this, and I still have to find out about that piece of music.**

**At least I can truthfully say that I was researching amnesia for this story! Same as always, review :) And, if you want, I'll write you a letter to-be-featured in the next update (cough, tomorrow, cough).**

** Right! Thanks for 252! Didn't expect to break 250 ;)**

**Yeah, see you all later…**

**-Sigh- Or not! Just looked back at my email… and I have 3 more reviews! And one more letter… So here it is –yawn-**

Dear Mary-sue (for Celestial Dream Weaver… lol niiice…),

Okay, now let's get this straight, shall we? I do not want to be writing to you, I do not wish to ever see your face, and I do not want to ever have any more reminder that you exist.

Capiche? Get it? Okay? Agree? Right?

Let's just say that I have something against 'little-miss-perfect's and people like you in general. You can even say that I have something specifically against people named Mary-sue.

Right, now for all of my worries, you may think that this is cruel. And somewhat demeaning to the name 'Mary-Sue'.

Well, first of all, who would possibly want to be named Mary-Sue? And, second of all, I don't care.

You make people like me feel bad. I mean, how annoying can you get? Constantly, I get compared to you, and constantly you come out on top.

And, by people like me, I mean normal people. You know, _with flaws_. Right? Don't you get it?

No? Okay, want me to try that again?

_I don't like you_.

Wow, amazing, right? I mean, who wouldn't like Little Miss 'everything-I-do-is-so-flippin-amazing-that-you-have-to-love-me'?

Well, the sane people of the world (cough, and those not living in stupid fantasies made up in the depths of people who have nothing better to do's minds). And, for all of my faults, that includes me, and not you.

Right, who's perfect now?

I don't know, but annoying isn't perfect, so it's most definitely not you.

Ja ne.

The Broken (Could you please [yes, you] die in a hole? Now? No? Maybe later? Alright, thanks…)

**And now I'm done! Peace out!**


	19. Chapter 19

This statement grabs my attention. After all, who does he think he is, to so simply choose for himself what I am to like. I look at him curiously, to see if he'll live up to his statement. I doubt he will, but sometimes I feel kind enough to supply the benefit of the doubt.

Nagihiko is smiling behind me, obviously barely concealing fits of laughter. I don't see what's so funny. When I look at him, he just waves off my confusion as though to tell me 'you'll find out'.

I've never wanted to know an orchestra piece so much in my life. It's amazing, you know. Normally I couldn't care less (in fact, earlier, I couldn't care less).

Tadase brings out a piece of paper while gazing at it. "Gavotte," he starts out, which already gets me sagging. Honestly, I hate Gavotte.

The word, not the actually piece. Actually, I still don't know which Gavotte it is, so I don't know if I've played it before. Yet, Gavotte means dance and, believe it or not, I'm not exactly a fan of dancing.

Right, don't judge a piece by its name. Shame, Amu, you should know better than that.

He looks at me while I have this internal struggle. Behind me, I know that Nagihiko is skillfully hiding his emotions behind that smile of his as he watches me try not to immediately hate the piece of music.

"Okay then," Tadase mumbles to himself before flashing a princely smile. Next, he looks at the piece for a composer, which is honestly a bad move on his part. What self-respecting musician doesn't know the name of their composer, even if they'd just learned of the song?

None. There is no such thing as a self-respecting musician who does such a vile task (okay, so maybe I'm overreacting, but I kind of get peeved when people don't bother to remember someone. Call it personal experience, if you will). "By Bach?" The statement, which he should've at least been sure of, as he'd just looked at the moment before (see above rant), comes out as a question. He looks at me as though to see if he's right, but gets nothing in return.

Instead, he gets my mouth hung open. Of course he had to choose one of the pieces that many of the students in our orchestra already knew how to play. This group of individuals includes Nagihiko, Ikuto, and I.

You ever try relearning a musical piece? I don't recommend it. It gets really boring really quickly, like killing yourself with a straw (don't ask how I know this).

"What! Why would we learn this!" I'm outraged, and so I feel my fists clenching at my sides. Tadase must see this, or at least sense the extreme anger I feel, because he steps back a few feet in what seems like fear.

"You could've just told him 'no'," Nagihiko tells me softly enough so Tadase doesn't hear.

I just shrug him off as I glare at Tadase. It's annoying, the piece he chose. Granted, it's probably our fault for not doing anything when we were supposed to be picking a piece to play, but why _that_ Gavotte?

Tadase's ruby eyes widen as he steps back again. I don't get why he's so scared, though. He's shivering, like I was something to really be afraid of, as he runs his hands against the wall. It's like he thinks I'm really going to hurt him. "Sorry," he avoids eye contact with me, "I'll change it if you want, Hinamori-san."

When he looks up his eyes widen even more, if you can believe that. He's looking past me, to the rest of the classroom. I turn around to see just what made him so surprised, only to turn nearly into his girlfriend.

Now I ask, why is he going out with her still? Right in front of me is second-chair viola, Saaya Yamabuki. She always blames it on me that I'm in the quartet, and not her.

Ah, don't be so quick to judge, young egotistical rich girl. You kind of sort of, I don't know how to put this, suck.

Right, harsh.

"What did you just say to Tadase-kun?" Saaya flexes her fingers out in front of her, as though getting ready to do something dangerous, like snap for her friends to come back her up. I don't get why she asks this question. It's obvious that she heard.

I tilt my head, as though that would give me some semblance of innocence. "Say? I didn't say anything," I put a finger to my lips in thought as I look back at her, pretending to actually be sorting through my memories at her whim. "Nope, didn't _say_ anything."

She growls. "Then what did I hear?" She's obviously more annoyed than I'd meant for her to get. I mean, I didn't mean to make her start _steaming_.

Not that she's steaming. I mean, it just seems like something she might start doing.

"I asked him two questions," I shrug my shoulders before looking to Nagihiko in the corner of my eye, practically begging for him to help me. I honestly don't feel like getting in a fight in the orchestra room. While my viola may still be in the case, I wouldn't want it to get broken, or for anyone else's instrument to get broken either.

He sighs before standing next to me. He looks like he doesn't want to be there, but he still manages to stand his ground as he looks towards Saaya. "I wanted to know the answer, too," he looks to her, daring her to disagree. The way he said the words, they sounded completely friendly. Yet Saaya nearly turns away and runs off from the boy as he stands next to me.

Who knew a cross-dresser could be so intimidating? I didn't, that's for sure.

Saaya stumbles over her words as she moves to stand next to Tadase opposite Nagihiko and me. Tadase doesn't say anything as he looks down, allowing for Saaya to be in charge.

Heh, and he believes himself worthy to be a king. What rubbish.

She practically growls at me as she stands next to Tadase. It's as though she thinks I want to stand next to him, and not Nagihiko. She's wrong, but I don't think she'll ever find that out. After all, she's still standing next to Tadase with growls erupting from her throat as I just stand still, amused.

"Um," I blink to make sure I'm not hallucinating as she bares her overgrown nails like claws in front of me, but I (sadly) am not. There she is, acting like some sort of intimidating animal.

I say acting, because she's not intimidating in the least.

"Roar?" I ask her in an attempt to communicate to her in what I suppose is her native language. She just looks at me incredulously before she stops brandishing her claws.

Okay, so now she's as confused as I am, we're officially going downhill in our sanity levels. She just stands in front of me, not really knowing what to do anymore.

"Calm down?" Nikaidou makes a half-hearted attempt to bring us back to sanity, but it doesn't work. Instead, Saaya just waves him off as though he were a fan while I just downright ignore him.

Behind me, someone sighs, "I just can't leave you guys alone for one day?"

I really don't know what it is with people coming up behind me, but it's getting really annoying. Honestly, it's amazing how dull and repetitive getting snuck up on like that can get. Nonetheless, I turn around and smack the boy on the head.

Nagihiko smiles at him, like he smiles at nearly everyone, before telling him, "I didn't expect you to come to school today."

Right, by now you must know who this is. As though it isn't obvious enough, I'll give you choices. It's either A)Nikaidou, B)Tadase, C)Nagihiko, or D)Ikuto.

If you picked anything but D, you're an idiot. If you picked D, you're probably an idiot anyway.

I huff, but don't make any move to look at the perverted boy. Instead, I continue to watch Saaya as she attempts to defend Tadase.

Even I forgot what she was defending him for, though.

"Miracles happen," I hear him reply smoothly before he wraps his arms securely around my waist. "Now, what were you doing?" He whispers in my ear before blowing in it.

I do what any sane person would do. I scream, turn red, and struggle against his hold. "Perverted truant cat—" I ramble off insults that most people probably wouldn't get. Like 'cat', I mean, he's not a cat.

It makes sense to me (and it should make sense to him. I don't know). Anyway, this gets Saaya to back off, and everyone else in the room to stare at me silently.

"U-uuh," I stutter before I feel my whole face heat up even more. My gaze drops quickly to the ground as I kick at the carpet, willing for the clock to go faster.

People in the room suddenly burst into chatter at around the same time a few minutes after. Nikaidou tries to round them all up into a semi-passable orchestra, but fails miserably. However, he has one success in the Saaya heads back to her seat.

"Now you have the glory of being in my presence," Ikuto drawls, obviously joking as he lounges on a nearby orchestra chair, "so could you tell me what orchestra piece we'll play?"

He doesn't really mean 'could you tell me', what he means is 'tell me or you _could_ go missing', or something to that nature. Needless to say, Tadase would struggle to immediately tell him what the piece was, if he was anyone but Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

Instead, because he is, after all, Tsukiyomi Ikuto, Tadase answers with a curt, yet still polite-sounding, "yes."

"_You better,_" he grumbles, still behind me, though not touching me anymore. Ikuto is just sitting there, when I manage to steal a glance back at him, with his hands dangerously reaching towards Tadase which, amazingly enough, looks like an intent to kill.

Tadase opens his mouth to retort but, let's face it, this is annoying. Nagihiko shakes his head 'no', although he looks about ready to open his mouth, too. Instead, I ignore him. I wheel on my heel to glare at the would-be truant before telling him pointedly, "Gavotte," and I say it in the most hateful manner at all possible.

He rolls his eyes, as though he'd expected this piece from the very start. He sags, looking to Tadase with a look on his face that doubles exactly how annoyed I am. "You really hate me, don't you?"

Now, I've said that I hate this song, and generally anything having to do with the word 'gavotte' in general. But Ikuto, he hates this piece. It's innumerable, the amount of times he must've played the song. Even the times he's forgotten must simply grate on his patience as he imagines the exact melody to the song, without even being told the composer.

Tadase sighs in defeat. "By Bach," he tells Ikuto reluctantly. I can tell that he wants to destroy the words, like he'd rather do anything other than tell Ikuto the information that he wanted to know.

Now Ikuto looks ready to kill someone. He doesn't even look back at us before dropping sheet music on the floor. "Choose this, if you don't want to play _Gavotte_," he tells Nagihiko and me, taunting us as though he already knows the outcome. In all truth, he probably does know the outcome.

There is _no_ way I'm playing Gavotte.

As he slinks out through the door, ignored by Nikaidou, who must be used to Ikuto's actions by now, he mumbles to himself, "I knew I should've just stayed home."

Honestly, I wish I did, too. Yet, here I am. And, honestly, I'm no truant (anymore). Right, focus.

I raise an eyebrow in Nagihiko's direction before looking towards the sheet music. I continue to look between the two without any ability to stop. On one hand, I really _really_ hate Gavotte.

On another, I know how horrible one feels when their ideas are discarded like a load of trash on the side of nothingness.

Nagihiko pulls up the sheet music before walking over to me. He waves Tadase towards us, as though to keep him from feeling horribly when we choose the piece Ikuto had brought today over Gavotte.

He reads the title first, before full-out grinning at us. He looks like he'd abandoned all restrictions that he'd had before as he waves around the paper in front of us. "It's definitely not what I'd thought when he told us to pick a string piece, but it works."

This gets me curious, so I try to snatch the paper out of the air. Yet, he moves the paper straight out of my reach every time I try. He looks at me as my curiosity just builds up. "You've got to wait," he tells me.

So I pout, but pull my arms back so that I can finally learn what the freaking title is.

Tadase starts to tap his toes beside me. It's obvious that, although he doesn't want to have his choice song discarded for one chosen on a whim, Tadase really wants to know what the song is.

Nagihiko has to speak over the school bell as it rings, but his words are still heard. "Viva la Vida! By Coldplay!"

He's long gone before the words sink in. Yet, let me tell you, it's a whole lot better than Gavotte.

After that wonderful encounter, I go to math class.

Now, I say that I skipped math class last time because it was too boring. Today, I tell you about my math class, because I'm too bored to skip it right now.

Honestly? I need somewhere to tell someone how ridiculous these formulas are. I mean, here it is, _y=mx+b_, and it's annoying.

It's so boring that I find it as a relief when Yukari-sensei calls Kairi, Yaya, and I outside so that we can talk amongst ourselves about how we should further explore how to tutor our current assigned peer.

Honestly, it sounds boring. Yet, at this point, I'm willing to go for anything that doesn't involve _x_ or _y_, so I practically jump out the door.

Kairi and Yaya still beat me, though.

"Hey Amu-chi! Can you believe that Kairi-kun had someone to tutor, too? I forgot that. I mean, it was just and Utau-chi for so long that I figured 'Hey! We're it!'. But, no! We're not, because Kairi is just like us. I mean, not really just like us, because he's a guy, but I mean—"

"That's enough Yaya-san," Kairi interrupts the blabbering girl mid-rant. She blushes slightly, but just smiles and spins to cover it.

"Alright!" She's still cheerful, which is kind of amazing to me.

Kairi sighs before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here, yet he's stuck here with us anyway.

"What are we supposed to talk about?" I ask them, because they must've been paying more attention than I was, seeing as I wasn't paying attention.

Yaya stops spinning to look at me. "Tutoring people!" She explains simply, though she looks like she's about to launch into a long explanation.

Kairi quickly cuts her off before she can start rambling even more. "Just what we're going to do next time we tutor someone."

"So nothing," I sigh before dropping down to the ground, bored out of my mind. We continue like this, Yaya rambling and Kairi cutting her off, for the rest of the class period.

Boredom. Though, I have to admit, much more entertaining than math class.

At this point, I'm happy for the bell to ring. I jump up from the floor in the hallway before rushing off away from the two of them to get my two lunches. I drop one off in Yaya's locker before quickly rushing to the lunchroom.

"Yo! Hinamori! Come over here!"

**TBC :) Okay, so letters ;)**

Dear Lily, (I'm just putting that name… right… this is for AMUTO1216! Thanks for the review!)

Don't take it too offensively when I tell you that you're flipping spastic.

… On second thought, please do take it offensively. I mean, seriously?

There's only so much texting can do for you! (Psst, it's bad for your thumbs).

And, apparently, grammar (and your brain).

Or are you just like that normally?

…

Right, harsh.

For the record, it's kind of, how do you say it, obnoxious? Yeah, I think that's it. I mean, grow up, much? Isn't music supposed to make you calmer? Yet, here you are.

You're annoying me with your voice, and I can't even hear you right now! I mean, geez! Imagine when I can actually hear your voice, that'll be torture. T-O-R-T-U-R-E.

Sorry, I'm being too harsh still.

I mean, honestly? How is it that you seem to be rambling without even talking out loud?

Wait, never mind. Don't answer that. Sorry, now I'm being hypocritical.

Shoot. Alright. So what do you do in your free time? Prank people? What self-respecting person does that? I mean, and how are you still liked? It's pretty much impossible, unless you're seen as 'not knowing better'.

Do you not know any better? Or maybe you're just cruel? What is it?

And by now, you're probably yelling at this letter, telling me that 'You're pulling a prank too!'

Ah, yes. Yes I am pulling a prank on you. Here it is, though. The truth is I'm not being a hypocrite in this case. I mean, I'm not a self-respecting person.

Hah! I'm pitiful.

But you are too. Heh, at least that makes me feel better about myself. Like a prank, the downfall of one is the happiness of another.

Beat that.

The Broken (Trickster :P)

Dear Teddy, (I'm putting that… Yeah, for Monsieur Runo. Thanks for the reviews!)

It's weird, you know. It's not too often that one finds a thief who can't lie.

Oh, sorry. You're not a thief, are you? You might be conniving, but you can't ever pull off a successful caper without being caught. I mean, it's hard to steal friends.

Oh, boo hoo. Tell me, tell me you don't try to. Do you? Do you really not even try to steal friendships? I bet you do. I bet you're drowning in so much pity that you reach out to these people, giving them no choice but to send pity back to you.

Then what happens? You see people like you. Are you afraid that they can be stolen back? I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard. I mean, they've already been stolen once.

Yet, look at the bright side. You really like them, don't you? You already feel attached to them. You say, you tell everyone you'd do anything, even die, for them. Honestly, it's impossible for one to know just how naïve you truly are. In truth, it's like you're such a small kid that you latch onto people automatically.

What's your problem? Honestly, this couldn't be seen as only negative, but it's possible that this is quite a horrible thing. Honestly, I'd feel sad if I were you, too. It's like you're right to feel on edge all the time, like you were being driven to the brinks of insanity by some unknown force.

I don't get it. What's wrong with you, exactly?

The Broken (Optimism D:)

**Done! **

**Yamihikari: No problem :)**

**Sailor Ice Cosmos: Please leave a personality for the letter, thanks**

**Will update soon! :) Thanks for all the reviews**

**I'm hoping for 300 at chapter 20 x)**

**Yay! Love you all! Peace!**


	20. Chapter 20

I feel like turning to bolt right back out of the cafeteria right then and there. Honestly, I'd only promised to sit with them once. By once, I mean not twice.

Guess which one this is. Right, the second. Meaning, not once.

I knew he was bad at math, he always has been, but this is just _too_ bad. One goes to two (what a concept). He couldn't have possibly lost count already!

I find myself walking up to Kukai's table despite myself. He's just grinning at me while I stalk across the ground toward him. He waves toward me quickly, although it's impossible for me to not see him, mostly because he's standing up in a now-still cafeteria.

_"Why's he asking for her?"_ Around me people whisper. I feel like running back now, but there's no point in leaving now. There's so many people who look at me as though I was just born. They ask, _"Who is she?"_ as though I was in none of their classes. It's as though I've been invisible until now.

It seems that's the blessing of the unimportant, of the invisible. They've never seen me before now. It's simple, or at least I'm bound to believe that it's simple. I'm a nobody, so they generally don't care unless I interact in any way with a somebody. In that case, I'm a person worthy of death.

But I keep to my goal and reach the table with Kukai. Across from him sits Utau, obviously under the guise of working on our project. Next to Utau are all empty chairs. Next to Kukai, however, anyone and everyone can sit. I don't look to either of them as I walk over to Utau to sit right next to her.

"Glad you could make it, Hinamori," Kukai grins to me, prompting me to sit down next to him. I'd try to ignore his pleas if I didn't know that such an action is futile. Instead, I look up to him.

"Yeah, Hi, Kukai," I clip each word distastefully, as though to emphasize the fact that I don't want to be sitting next to him by even more. He just acts as though ignoring me (either that or he's completely ignorant of my obvious feelings), before turning back to Utau.

"Glad you could make it, too, Tsukiyomi," he winks at her.

She turns away pointedly, a faint pink color lightly dusting her cheeks, nearly unnoticeable. "I'm not," she whispers to me, making an effort to not turn back to look at the soccer player.

Around us, people are talking. It's obvious that we're not talking about our science project, so that couldn't possibly be our excuse.

I see the reason for their amazement, too. I mean, the untouchable, the charismatic jock, and the nobody. Since when did that happen outside of movies?

Kukai is laughing, like usual. His laugh is weird, that sort of sound that can't help but make everyone feel like laughing, too, even though he tends to laugh at the most random time. He's talking to Utau, taunting her, even.

She's pouting, though it looks less than childish the way she puts her bottom lip out. I don't know what it looks like, actually, but she doesn't particularly look like one would imagine one pouting to look like.

Suddenly, Kukai stops laughing, and Utau is just looking to him expectantly.

"Did I miss something?" I ask them, really confused. I start to drum my fingers on the tabletop as both turn to look at me.

"I was asking why he didn't want to research amnesia." The way Utau tells the question is really blunt. She's now looking at me, too. "You know the reason, don't you?" She accuses me, as though that would make anything better. It doesn't, though. Instead, all that happens is I slink farther down in my chair.

"Yeah," I tell her softly, hoping that she doesn't hear. Yet, in a second she's staring straight to my face as Kukai is encouraging me to tell.

The wimp.

"Tell," she commands, though I have absolutely no reason to listen to her words. I mean, no reason other than to not die today by Utau's famous actual glare of death.

I stumble over my words, "Uuuuuh," looking to Kukai for help. Yet, Kukai is innocently looking the opposite direction, talking to someone watching the encounter nearby.

See? What did I tell you? Wimp.

I want to tell her straight out, but I can't seem to control my actions as I scoff at her, "Don't you have _pictures_?" The way I look at her, _she_ slinks into her chair beside me, looking as though I'd accused her of something. In case you forgot, Ikuto apparently had pictures of me from when we dated.

And apparently not of his best friend?

Utau shakes off her nervousness before sitting up straight, imposing. "No, why would I?" She tilts her head while looking to me quietly. Again, I feel the pressure of her interrogation pounding at me. It isn't quite comfortable, the way she talks, I mean.

"You had pictures of me," I retort. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the wimpy jock turning back to us as we shoot words back and forth. He looks more uncomfortable than I feel, the way he twiddles his thumbs while staring at us bickering incessantly before him.

"You were his boyfriend," she points out, putting hands to her hips as though that settles that she's outdone me.

Now, I know that it's only now that I'm actually giving her the answer that she'd wanted, the answer that could've missed all of this useless talk. I look to her, passing my food over to Kukai, because I know that now I'm definitely not going to eat. "He was his best friend," I tell her, pointing out a fact that she'd been ignorant to.

She's speechless, amazingly enough, as I excuse myself from the table. "Right, bye," I wave them off, walking to my next class.

I've said that I hate language arts, right? Well, I'm the first one in the class, and I have to prepare myself for the torture that awaits me during class.

Today we're talking about grammar.

Now, you may think 'well, that's not so bad!', but you're wrong. Grammar, as many can agree, is something much lacked in the youth of today's world.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. After all, I'm the only one in class so far. I take my seat next to where Rima will sit before fiddling with my hair, as I've found myself tending to do as of late. The class starts to fill up a minute before the bell, some people loitering outside the door so that they could step into the classroom with a few seconds to spare.

The teacher looks at everyone in the classroom. "Okay, today we'll be talking about grammar," the teacher tells us, stating the obvious (as the word 'grammar' is written in some of the most obnoxious letters possible).

Beside me, Rima sighs, pulling a blank lined sheet of paper onto her desk with a pencil. As the teacher starts droning on about 'capital letters', which we should all know anyway, the paper is passed onto my desk.

_'I'm bored_', she wrote to me, her handwriting elegant. When I look to her, she makes no move to show that she'd been the one to pass the sheet, but I know it was her (as she's the only one who sits next to me).

'_Who isn't?'_ I reply, passing the note back, copying her in that I stare back to the teacher, who's now ranting.

"I can't believe some of you! Here you are, high school students," she pulls up a piece of paper with a block of text stretched across the paper with no spaces, "yet I get papers like this daily! What is _wrong_ with you?"

The note comes back to me, as I block the teacher's annoying voice out into the back of my mind. _'Did you give the next note, yet?'_ The words are strangely vague, as though she knows that I don't want anyone who gets the writing by accident to know what we're talking about.

_'Was wondering if you could_,' I admit, putting the letter to Ikuto, which I had stuffed into an envelope earlier, below the paper as I slide it back. She doesn't nod, but she does take the letter, which I take that as acceptance of the task I was asking her to complete.

'_Where were you in social studies?'_ I know that the words are her way of expressing worry, although they seem like something just anyone would ask when they see someone not there for one class period.

_'Was out with the coaches, apparently I'm on the soccer team,'_ I say, pointedly ignoring her look of extreme disbelief for the rest of the class period.

At the end of class, we both get up out of our chairs, not noticing the paper laying on the desk, nor do we notice the person who surveyed the paper with a soft grin.

I do, however, notice Rima stuffing a note into Ikuto's violin cubby later that day. And, if I'm guessing correctly, it's my note.

You know what, it's good not to be so alone anymore.

**Sorry this is a bit shorter than I'd wanted it to be, but the next one will **_**definitely**_** be longer. I'm actually already working on it ;)**

**Peace**

**Thanks for all the reviews, will update soon (cough, tomorrow)**


	21. Chapter 21

_She giggles as she reads over the letter. It's funny, to her, the way the words intertwined until a story was told._

Yet_, she pulls the letter closer to her face,_ I can't seem to find out what exactly this story is. _She reads it over again and again._

"_Maybe Kairi-kun can find the story!" she suddenly exclaims, jumping out of her chair with a grin. She almost runs out to find the boy, yet she remembers that he always leaves early to go somewhere. It's obvious that she wouldn't be able to find him by now._

_She sighs, "Tomorrow, then?" She asks herself, "Yeah, tomorrow." It's a promise to herself. By now she _knows_ that this is completely up to her. Unconsciously she reaches to the letter in her pocket, _The Broken_, she remembers the scrawled signature as though she was still reading the words._

"_On second thought," she pauses, "maybe Ikuto-kun would be better." She places her finger to her cheek as though pondering the ups and downs to each of them. "Or Nagihiko-kun?"_

_Yet, Kairi would take it too seriously, Ikuto wouldn't take it seriously at all. Maybe Nagihiko, but then again, maybe not. It's too confusing, all of this._

_She sighs. On second thought, maybe she'll just ask Utau._

~*With Amu*~

I bang my head on my desk after glancing at my homework. Such inane and boring words on such a boring sheet of paper amazes me by how very boring a single thing can be.

Yet, I force myself to read over the words again and again.

I groan. "Why would I care about when this plant was born?" I growl at the fossil identification homework I was given. For a moment, I wonder how long it would burn, but I shake that thought off quickly. Obviously, that's not a good idea, seeing as how I need to turn the sheet in tomorrow.

Yet, I'm about ready to tear the homework apart when the doorbell rings downstairs. I already know that the house is empty, so I trudge downstairs groggily to open the door.

"What," I nearly spit at the grinning girl outside of my doorway. In front of me stands Yuiki Yaya, with the same stretched smile as always.

She laughs nervously, "Well," she trails off, "I kind of want to visit Utau!" She states shortly. It takes me a few moments to realize that she's already done talking, and I'm just zoning out because I'm used to her droning on and on excitedly.

I raise an eyebrow at her, "Okay?"

She just rolls her eyes. "So," she grins at me, "you're going to bring me there, right?"

Something tells me that she's not asking. Actually, by the way that she's already dragging me outside, she's simply stating a fact. Or, at least, it's a truth now that she's made it such.

I sigh in defeat, "Yeah." I close the door behind me before following behind the racing girl. She's spinning off, as though that's her alternative to running her mouth off in my ear.

"You're going the wrong way," I tell her as she turns right one block before we're meant to turn left. She only smiles at me sheepishly before racing back to me.

"You know," she taps at her chin, "for someone who looks fit, you're a lot slower than I expected. I mean, you can take that badly, cause I guess that is sort of bad to say, but you are. I mean, you're walking so slowly that the cars must think you're going backwards!" She looks at me before racing off again.

I just shake my head at the girl. I try not to show her how my legs start to shake as she taunts me, but I feel the need to race past _her_ and watch her jaw drop to the floor.

Without thinking correctly, I make up my mind to sprint past her all the way to the Tsukiyomi household. I look back as I'm pumping my legs just in time to see Yaya stop with that same grin still on her face.

Something tells me that this is how she'd wanted this to end up.

Not too long after that, I'm standing in front of the large doorway, not even out of breath. Yaya's now skipping behind me, not even _trying_ to catch up anymore, and she's even whistling a song drastically out of tune.

I don't bother asking her what song it's meant to be, because something tells me that even she wouldn't be able to tell anymore. Instead I start tapping my foot impatiently as I stare at the young girl.

In a second she's by my side. "Knock knock!" She screams at the door, not even bothering to ring the doorbell or stab at the door. With anyone else, I'd think that they're crazy for trying.

With her, however, I _know_ she's crazy, but I also know that this is going to work.

This time Utau opens the door. She's still dressed in the clothes that she'd worn earlier this school day, only now she also has ink on her hands. She looks annoyed, although that may be because of the homework or because of the fact that we randomly showed up at the doorway.

"Hey," I wave at her lazily.

She nods her head in Yaya's direction. "What's she want?" She whispers to me, already trying to help me escape.

I just shrug my shoulders.

"Hey Utau!" Yaya greets. She grabs Utau's hand, which is hanging limply at her side, only to shake the poor hand rapidly. "I wanted to talk to you, so here I am!"

"So why'd you bring Amu?" Utau asks, motioning to me.

Yaya turns sort of red, "Well," she trails off, "I kind of lost the sheet to get here. That, and I don't know the way. You know what happens when that happens, right? I mean, even though you know where you're _trying_ to go, you always end up going somewhere else. And that sucks because, honestly, somewhere other than where you want to go is generally unwanted. And that's kind of—"

"Bad, yeah, I got it," Utau interrupts the blabbering girl easily. "Well, don't just stand there," she places her hands on her hips, "Come in."

Yaya runs in, but I just follow slowly behind. I'm reluctant to enter the house, even though I've been in here multiple times.

"Amu!" Yaya calls, "Come up here in a bit, okay?" She's already racing up the stairs after Utau. "I really want to talk to Utau, but after that the three of us can all hang out!" Yaya grins as though we'd all agreed with these conditions before, although I haven't the heart to tell her that I don't necessarily agree with what she's saying. Instead, I stand awkwardly in the middle of the room.

_Now, where's the bathroom?_ I stare around the room. I know that I shouldn't interrupt the two, so I decide to simply find the restroom myself. It's not so much that I need to go there, but that I'm just too bored to sit around for more than a few minutes.

While I'm walking, I pass by a room with a door partially open. Inside, a light is on, although it flickers out every few minutes. I figure that I've got as much a chance as any to find the restroom, or even someone who knows where it is, in this room. Quietly, almost silently, I push the door open.

The door I enter is like the night sky, where everything is a dark sort of blue, and the only light comes from a single light bulb, like a star. A single person is thrown into shadow on a bed in the center of the room. I can tell that they're holding something, a paper.

"Umm, hello?" I call out to the person, causing them to quickly become startled. They nearly rip the paper in two, although they quickly check it afterwards. Even in the dark, I see the worry that flashes across their face for a second before being completely gone. "You there?"

They grunt, "Yeah," I hear the voice answer. Immediately I match the voice to Ikuto, partially because I've heard his voice so many times, and partially because I've ignored his voice for so long.

"What're you looking at?" I motion to the paper in his hands before turning on another light. I see him squinting as the light floods the room. Everything about the area is highlighted, although I can't pay attention to that. Actually, the only thing that might possibly be able to tear my eyes away from Ikuto is the letter that he still has in his hands.

"Nothing," he growls. He looks as though he's ready to rush out and disappear on me, and I know that he can, that he would without a second thought.

I can't resist the urge to roll my eyes at him as I look to the paper. "Right, _'nothing_', he says. Yet, why were you so interested in this nothing, might I ask?"

"None of your business," he then looks up to me, "Didn't know you were so interested in what I did," he sounds spiteful, yet a smirk still finds its way across his face. "So you really do care about me, _A-Mu_."

I flush immediately. "I," I growl, stuttering slightly, "I _don't!_"

He walks toward me without a second thought, merely so that he can annoy me further. Yet, as soon as he gets in reach, I grab for the paper and mercilessly pull it from his grasp.

For a second, he holds on, though. At least, he holds on until he realizes that the paper would tear if he held on for any longer. A t that point, he lets go of the paper as though it were burning, although I can tell that he would kill me, had he been met with the chance to do so.

I eagerly look to the paper, although I realize that _paper _is no good name for the thing I'm holding. It's more of a photo, a wondrous captured moment.

"This picture," I mumble, tracing the lines. It's familiar to me. In fact, I have one just like it posted on my board in my room. There's him, sitting near me on a beach. It was the day before he forgot everything, but I've never had the heart to throw it away. Strangely enough, it was one of my favorite pictures. It looks like it was taken yesterday, the way we look the same as we do now.

"You know where it is?" He's not looking at me, yet his curiosity flows in his words. It's like any information of the place, he'd take. For a moment I'm inclined to let him suffer, or at least let him suffer until he remembers soon enough.

"Yeah," I tell him, "I do." I stare at the picture. I still remember how everything was that day.

"Where?" He demands the information from me, as though it were his life source that he had been deprived of for so long.

"California," I say. "We'd gone there, and we were just going to board the plane."

He stares at the picture as I follow his gaze. "You're the girl in the picture?"

I smile to him sadly. "Yeah, that's me."

"How'd I know you?"

I look at him with a soft smile. Before I'm able to tell him, I hear my name being called. It's Yaya who's yelling for me to come to them upstairs. I jump up, rushing to the stairway.

"Well," I sigh, "I guess you could say that I was your girlfriend."

I leave him alone, although I can still imagine the look on his face long before I go up the stairs to greet Yaya and Utau. I don't bother imagining what they'd been talking about, mostly because it doesn't matter to me, since they'd so clearly left me out of their conversation.

"Hey Amu!" Yaya grins.

"Hi Amu," Utau smiles to me.

I just nod in their direction. I wonder about Ikuto, why he still looks at the pictures. For a second, I wonder if he's got it much worse off than I do.

That second passes, and I end up knowing that he does.

**Sorry, long wait. Back to my normal schedule as of now, though :)**

**No letters this chapters, but I will have them up tomorrow. Thanks for the reviews! 302**

**Probably because of the uber long wait…**

**Lol**

**Okay, see you all tonight. (This is because I couldn't upload this thing yesterday night or earlier this morning…)**


	22. Chapter 22

_ He stands there staring at the doorway of his bedroom._

_ "Ikuto," his sister stands in the door, right in his gaze. She's looking to him, worry racing across her face, yet all of this is lost upon him. Scared? Is he scared? It truly makes no difference, seeing as he truly didn't know that anything was happening._

_ He looks broken, shattered completely._

Just one letter,_ he decides, picking up a sheet of paper. He has one letter crumpled by his side, a letter from someone he doesn't know, someone he shouldn't trust._

_ And yet._

_ Yet…_

_ He decides to write, despite how stupid such a thing would be._

Dear the Broken,

It's me again. Loved the reply. I suppose you couldn't get only one time to speak to me? You just love me that much?

On second thought, don't answer that.

If you're the broken, what would I be? Is there anything else that I could possibly be? Maybe _shattered_. Or _diluted_.

Retarded. That's me, by the way. You may be childish and all of that, but I'm certainly retarded. And forgetful.

Mostly retarded.

What does that make you? You said you loved me. Let's face it, who doesn't, though? What's there not to love? Even my retarded side is undeniably hotter than most of the male population at the school.

Now, you can take that one of two ways. One, the rest of the school is just ugly or, two, I'm just amazingly hot.

I'm going for both, seeing as they are pretty ugly (when compared to me).

Alright, now, you may be wondering why I'm writing to you if only to be rolling in my freaking ego trip this whole time. Actually, I'd be quite content to stay in my ego trip for quite a while, yet that's not the point.

The point is, you wrote to me, and now you have to suffer through my writing back. Deal with it.

Or don't deal with it. Alright, that's cool too. Not really. Okay, so that's almost as retarded as me.

On that note, do you know what it's like to be reaching for something? It's strange, like I know that there's something there that I can't remember. Yet, every single time that I reach out, I can't seem to ever find a single thing missing. It's like that place I think that there is something doesn't exist, as though the whole world is a separate part of nothingness in the whole world of nothingness.

And then there's the whole forgetting part of this. The whole part of reality that doesn't exist anymore, that doesn't seem to be real enough to exist.

You're the broken, so I'm guessing that you realize exactly what this is. I suppose that you know everything that I'm saying. Isn't that the point of you being you? You seem to know too much about me, like you know me better than I ever have.

What's the point of writing to you, then? I guess it's just because I'm bored and, again, you have no choice but to listen to me now that you've written to me. Congratulations, then, you are now able to be annoyed by me. Was that the point of this, whatever you're doing.

I doubt it, yet that's how it ended up. Congrats.

Tsukiyomi Ikuto

~*With Amu*~

I groan as padded feet wake me up. The sounds erupts from downstairs, as though poorly muffled in an attempt to not wake anyone up, yet failing miserably.

I fall from my bed, rolling off the side and hitting my face to the floor. I try to fall back to sleep without actually standing back up to get to bed, and yet I can't. Instead, I decide to accuse whomever had woken me up.

"Who's up already?" I growl after slamming the doorway to my bedroom open. Outside, there's only one light on downstairs. I guess that it's in the kitchen, so I end up trudging over to that area, scowling.

You know, so that I can kill them or do something else along those lines. And, believe me, it won't be particularly enjoyable.

"I'm sorry, my sparrow!" It's my dad, who is now over-reacting because he woke me up.

"It's fine," I grumble, looking over his shoulder to try and see what he was trying to make. He just blocks me, though, so that I'm only looking at his shoulders. This, however, is not useful.

"No it's not!" He whines like a child, though he still manages to effectively block my field of view. "I don't want to cut into my poor sparrow's beauty sleep! I shouldn't! So I apologize!" He waves his arms wildly, as though doing so would help to prove his point. This, however, is not the case. Instead he looks like a flailing monster.

"It's fine," I groan, trudging back up the stairs. "I'll just get ready for bed now, since I'm up already."

Getting ready for school is quick and so, before I know it, I'm already rushing out the door. I don't particularly wish to go to school today, seeing as who I have to see.

Let's see… everyone I don't want to see. That includes Yaya, Tsukiyomi, Kairi, all of the teachers, the random kids in the hallways who think that I actually matter, the coaches, and more. As in, I'm screwed, if you were paying attention. That, and I have to go to orchestra, where we're going to learn Viva la Vida.

And, I mean, I love that song but _really_. I mean, in all honesty, I don't _feel_ like playing. Want to know why?

Well, Tsukiyomi is why. Freaking first violin has to lead us. Why? Because the world hates me with some sort of burning passion that I, in all honesty, have come to hate more than anything else.

Which, by the way, is a lot, seeing as I seem to hate a lot of things a whole lot. If you think about it, that's kind of sad.

I try not to think of it too often, because it makes me seem even more pitiful.

I park outside of the school, only to be met with a loud, "Hinamori!" as Kukai Souma comes racing over.

I can tell this without checking. Do you wish to know why? Perhaps it would be because Kukai has a loud voice that is easily distinguishable. Or perhaps it is because he is the only one who yells my last name. Perhaps it is because he is the only person who yells my name at all.

Or it might also be just because I saw him earlier.

As for the rushing bit? Let's just say that he's always rushing.

**Okay, random stopping point ftw…**

**-I suck-**

** Thanks for the reviews! :D**

**No letters again –OMIGOSH I SHOULD GO DIE D:-**

**Well… yeah… see you next time…**


	23. Chapter 23

**Recap:**

**I park outside of the school, only to be met with a loud, "Hinamori!" as Kukai Souma comes racing over.**

**I can tell this without checking. Do you wish to know why? Perhaps it would be because Kukai has a loud voice that is easily distinguishable. Or perhaps it is because he is the only one who yells my last name. Perhaps it is because he is the only person who yells my name at all.**

**Or it might also be just because I saw him earlier.**

**As for the rushing bit? Let's just say that he's always rushing.**

_Story Start!_

I glare at the jock as he grins at me. "Really, Kukai?" I pull at my hair uncomfortably, "I'm trying to be in a bad mood here, leave me alone!" I start to stomp forward, away from him, but he only jogs over to me.

"Running really helps with bad moods," he muses distractedly, absentmindedly jogging slowly beside me as I head towards the school building. He doesn't say anything else for a while, for which I am grateful.

Sadly, that couldn't last forever. "You know, you're a fast runner, so why are you always late?" He asks me, now jogging backwards (as if jogging normally wasn't bad enough).

But, really? I don't jog to school.

And that's exactly what I tell him. When I do, however, he just stares at me with wide eyes.

"You don't?"

Well, no. You're the one who met me at my _car_, genius.

Really, sometimes I wonder about that boy.

"No, you do?" I laugh instead of saying what I was really thinking, waving him off as I reach the door to the school. "Anyway, I've got to be off, see you later!"

I don't wait for him to answer me. All I do is slam open the door and rush inside, accidentally running over a short girl in the process.

"Oops." I look down at the girl now sprawled on the ground.

"Well, are you going to help me up?" She asks, except it's more of a 'are you going to help me up, or are you going to live in fear for the rest of your life, looking around corners in case I come and murder you or torture you (or torture then murder you)?'. As in, I really had no choice.

I help her up. "Hey, Rima," I smile at her as she sticks her tongue out at me.

I hear a quiet gasp from behind us. "_Wow_," someone, a boy, says, "I didn't know Rima Mashiro could be so childish!"

It's a good-natured joke, and I laugh.

Rima, however, doesn't. "Go away, Fujisaki, I really don't have time for you right now."

I turn around to face his grinning face. "Did you forget, Rima? My class is right next to yours."

Rima looks like she's about to explode.

I'm actually not fully convinced that she won't. "Alright, Rima," I sigh, "We have to go, unless you want to be late."

She growls, "As long as we don't have to walk with _him_." She's still glaring at Nagihiko, and he's still smiling.

"It's okay, I can skip!" He's obviously trying to make her laugh, and I think that it might work.

You know, if she wasn't too proud to admit that she likes him even a little bit. Sadly, she is, so her lips only slightly turn up for a smile, and she fights to stifle a giggle.

"You skip class?" I ask incredulously.

Both of them look at me, then at each other, then back at me, and laugh. They laugh hard.

"No?" He says, as though it should've been obvious.

"Yeah," Rima agrees, "He's too much of a wimp to do anything like that."

Well, I'll be. _Someone _is incredibly bitter.

"Wait, so he skips, like hopping skips? Like—"

"Yes," Rima says.

Nagihiko keeps staring at us, as though not quite sure that he likes where our conversation is going.

"But isn't that kind of – you know – stupid?"

"Yep. That, my child, would be the point."

I blink. I really don't get why he would skip.

"Geez, for a scheming mastermind, you're pretty dense," Rima tells me, forgetting that Nagihiko is still here (though I'm sure he's too busy being confused to pay her any attention) and nearly exposing my secret.

"I get that a lot," I explain.

Well, no. No, I don't.

But she doesn't need to know that.

"Now come on," I pull on her hand, "We're really going to be late this time."

Which sucks, because if I get another tardy, I have to stay after school for detention.

_Again_.

Oh, _the horror_. Not like my parents would care. Unless it's a 'How dare you come home late when you have to babysit your sister!'. Except, she doesn't need me to babysit her anymore.

"Let's _go_!" I pull Rima to our class while waving to a very amused Nagihiko with the other. "See you in orchestra!" I add as an afterthought.

Unless I die of boredom before then, but I believe that that should be a given.

Cause, you know, that's a common occurrence in high school. Death by boredom. Be afraid, be very afraid.

"You know, for someone in such a hurry, you don't seem to be going very fast."

I look at Rima curiously. For a moment I'm wondering what she's talking about. After all, the door to the room is right in front of me.

_RIIIING_! The school bell interrupts my train of thought, and I dive into the room.

The teacher is about as stunned as I am. Instead, some unimportant student in the classroom sneers.

"Looks like Hinamori's on time for once," they remark casually. Immediately the unimportant student is met with immature giggles and comments that I (honestly) don't care about.

"Yeah, I am," I growl, "Glad you noticed."

Well, no, no I'm not.

I ignore the rest of the class as I calmly sit down with Rima near me. She's sneering at the back of the boy's head, as though hoping that something bad would happen to him. (And suddenly his head catches fire…) I keep staring at the boy, expecting something to happen.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing happens.

Funny, that reminds me of history. Faintly, I hear the teacher droning on and on about something. In my head, I just hear the words _and then something really unimportant happened, and so our lives are what they are. Congratulations_.

Somehow, I doubt that she said that.

The bell rings, finally releasing me from the class about dead people.

_Dead people_. They're pretty much worse than _living_ people.

Oh my lord.

I move to science, where we're working on our project today. Amazingly, I'm one of the first kids in there.

"Amu," the teacher calls to me, "would you mind helping me clean up from last class?"

Well, yes. Yes, I would.

"No. It's fine." I smile warmly at the teacher before I grab a broom off of the wall to sweep up paper pieces from the ground into the dust pan.

In reality, I'm grumbling under my breath.

"Bye, teach," Another person, someone that I'd much rather ignore for the rest of my high school career, says, "I've got to head over to my next class before I get another detention."

I hold in a laugh. Both of us, since we went out in middle school, have been unable to get rid of this uncanny ability to get detention a lot (usually by being late to things).

I hear the person head to the door, but I see his feet stop right in front of me.

"You have some explaining to do," he whispers in my ear, blowing softly after he's done speaking.

I scream.

And the teacher just kind of stands there, looking shocked.

"Ikuto!" I screech, spinning around with the broom still in my hand, barely seeing him chuckling as he heads out of the door and to his next class.

Conveniently (right, conveniently. Come on, we all know that they were eavesdropping), it isn't until then that the room begins to fill up with chattering students.

Gratefully, I hang up the broom.

"So," Utau is the first to come, and she sits next to me happily, "I see that you're talking to my brother now."

I grumble something (even I don't know what) under my breath.

She laughs, but goes quiet soon after that. "Didn't know you were such good friends with Rima," she whispers, "maybe you're not so broken after all."

I'm still shocked when Kukai comes in a few moments later.

"Are you guys ready for some fun science? And don't say no, because I know you are. Don't forget, we're also sitting together today at lunch!" Kukai says all of this the moment he sits down in his chair across from Utau and me.

We both groan at his enthusiasm.

Science goes by quickly. We spend the whole time thinking up ideas for a final product.

And we have yet to actually choose one. (Why yes, I do realize that we fail epically)

But that's not my main concern right now. My main concern happens to be in my next class period.

Tsukiyomi Ikuto. _Shiver_. Right now, even his name seems to be concerning. Imagine his actual person!

Although, I know him (or at least, I used to know him), and he's not the type of person to talk to me when I know that he's there.

No, that would be too normal. He'd wait until after school, when I don't know that he's there, and then _pounce_.

Okay, so maybe not pounce, but definitely freak me out a lot.

I enter the orchestra room quickly, checking over my shoulder for him. I don't see him, so I just head over to the area we'd been working in for the past few days.

"Hey Amu," Nagihiko says. He's the only one of our group of misfits that's here already.

"Hi," I sigh, sitting next to him, "Where's the prince?" I look around the room for said blond, Tadase, the first person usually in the class at all.

"Don't know," he sighs, sitting back. "We should probably unpack our stuff, though," he reminds me.

Today will be the first day we've actually read the music with our instruments (or, at least, as a group). I've never seen the music, let alone played it, though I'd bet anything that Tadase had read it and played it more than enough times.

I groan. "I'm going to crash and burn," I sigh, pulling out my viola carefully. I carefully stroke the bright wood. Lovingly, I secure the shoulder rest on the instrument before sitting back again, resting my viola on my left knee.

Nagihiko laughs, rosining his cello bow as I do the same with my longer violin/viola bow. "You? Crash and burn?" He raises an eyebrow, "The only reason that Tadase and I won't be too far behind you two is because we've played it while neither of you have so much as seen the key signature."

I sigh. Of course he's talking about Ikuto and me. It's obvious that Ikuto would never read a piece of music on his own time: he never does. It's just as obvious that I'd never read it, not as long as he hasn't.

Despite my playing viola and his playing violin, we're the closest in playing skill. Even the director jokes that we should play a duet so that they could decide who would win.

I say Ikuto would, but only because the only reason I won every single time we used to compete in playing was because he wanted me to. Obviously he doesn't want me to win anyway.

"I'm not all that good at sight reading."

He snorts, quickly breaking his kind façade. Soon, however, he recovers and looks at me as though I was some sort of delusional idiot.

Oh, I should probably get used to that look.

"You're not good?" He sighs, "The only one better is Ikuto, and he's not even here half the time! That means that half of the time, you're the best orchestra sight reader in the whole school!"

I laugh, "I guess that means that almost all of us suck at sight reading!"

He's about to retort when the room is filled with yelling.

"Really?" Some anonymous girl asks another, who is nodding enthusiastically.

Saaya comes up to them, "What are the two of you talking about?"

One of them, the blond one who nodded, gasps. "Tadase and Ikuto are outside, Saaya-sama."

I laugh behind them. Honestly, Saaya-_sama_? Now, that's a bit over the top.

She glares at me as though hearing my thoughts.

"What are you looking at, freak?" She stalks over to me, searching my face for some sort of embarrassment because of her remark.

I have to fake it, but I obviously do a bad job, because she cringes. "Absolutely nothing," I say after thinking for a bit. Before she can yell at me, I turn over to the other two girls that Saaya had talked to.

"Now, what are you talking about? Are those idiots really going to make us fail our concert?" I sigh, pulling a hand through my hair. I knew this would happen sooner or later.

Tadase would never like a lazy bum who gets everything from talent without ever trying. Ikuto would never like a suck-up.

They were destined for hatred.

The girl looks at me, eyes wide, as though she hadn't expected me to talk at all. "Tadase and Ikuto are fighting in the hallway."

I can't hold back this laugh, like I had been doing to the past ones today. It's so ridiculous a premise that I start cracking up. The whole room goes quiet, and I can feel everyone in the room staring at me as I try and fail to get a grip.

"See, I knew she was going to crack," someone whispers, but said person immediately goes quiet when everyone else in the room shushes them.

Tadase is too much of a gentleman to ever fight anyone else unless openly provoked. Ikuto, however, is just too lazy to do anything. In addition, neither would actually do anything where they'd be seen (unless Ikuto had simply wanted to create some sort of major disturbance, in which case it would be in the middle of the room).

So, yes, you'd start laughing like a crazy person, too.

That leaves me with the question of what they would actually be doing. It's not like they're _not_ out in the hallway, cause that much _has_ to be true.

I push my way out the door to see Ikuto and Tadase…

…

I crack up again. I hadn't even quite stopped laughing from last time, but this is just too _hilarious_.

"You guys stuck or something?"

Ikuto and Tadase, amazingly, are glaring at me. Both of them are completely and utterly stuck in, get this, yarn.

Like cats.

Cute? I think so.

"Where did you guys _come_ from?" I laugh, moving forward so that I can reach them, but they can't reach me (or, at least, they can't reach me with their bound limbs).

"Math class," Tadase answers out of kindness, but Ikuto only sneers.

"Up yours," he glares, obviously in a bad mood.

I ignore Ikuto and his horrible mood. "You guys look like kitties," I muse, pulling at Ikuto's hair from behind into two triangles.

_Ha! Here's payback for something you can't even remember!_

Yeah, not nearly as fun when they don't know what you're getting them back for, or even that you're having revenge at all. This sucks.

I mentally curse his amnesia for the millionth time in my life.

Ikuto hisses, and Tadase just glares at the ground, as though they are reacting to my mental cursing (but obviously _not_ reacting to my mental cursing). They look at each other and, amazingly, manage to have a look that _doesn't_ consist of flamethrowers and killer ponies.

… Please, for your sake, just believe me. Don't you dare ask.

Anyway, Nagihiko comes to join me, as Nikaido had somehow managed to corral the rest of the class into rehearsal positions, leaving us, as in Nagihiko and I, to deal with the kitties.

I grin evilly, and the now-squirming boys obviously see, as Nagihiko backs away slowly and Ikuto and Tadase try to scamper away.

Oh, I will never let them live this down.

Never I tell you! Never! And that's a promise.

I never forget or break a promise. _Never_.

Anyway, it takes a while for Nagihiko and me to unwrap the kitty boys, but we get them free eventually. Neither of them seem too eager to play, but somehow we manage to usher Tadase and Ikuto to our area, prepare their violins, and settle their music on their individual stands.

Nagihiko is the one who is going to count us off, as he seems like the one least likely to miscount (on purpose or on accident) and, therefore, lead our quartet to ruin.

"One, two, three, four," he drones, but I still feel the beat in my bones, "One, two, ready, go!"

I don't hear anything else after that. It's just us – two violins, a cello, and a viola – playing the song together with no one else watching or listening or judging. I get pulled into the music, hearing the words in my head as Ikuto begins to keep us in tempo (as such is the job of the concertmaster and, therein, of first violin).

Somewhere in my occupied mind, I realize that Nagihiko had dropped out. He's just watching as Ikuto, Tadase, and I race through the notes for the first time.

Tadase makes it look hard. His face is focused, so concentrated that he would notice if a single note was out of place by a millisecond. Ikuto makes it look easy. His fingers fly on his fingerboard, adding vibrato and extra notes as he changes the melody to something a lot fancier.

I don't know what I look like, but I'm betting that I look like a wreck. I figure that I don't care at this point. I'm more occupied with complimenting Ikuto's changing violin melody. I'm ignoring the music that I had hurriedly looked at moments before we started, and so I'm only playing along with him.

Tadase sighs and drops out. I hear everything, and yet nothing other than Ikuto's violin and my viola. For a second, I think that the whole school has gone quiet to listen to us play.

But that's crazy. I decide this and merely continue playing, getting ready for the grand finale. I know that it's coming, because Ikuto always plays one. I get ready, already hearing the notes and feeling the half steps as I shift positions.

We hit the notes at about the right time, at about the same time.

Neither of us bow, but we do nod slightly in each others direction.

_It needs work_. We'd silently decided on this after hearing the whole piece.

The rest of the school appears not to think so. In fact, I think the whole school is screeching like wild animals, clapping wildly as well.

_"And that was Tsukiyomi Ikuto, a violinist, and Hinamori Amu, a violist, adding their own spin to _Viva La Vida _by _Coldplay_, a song neither had heard before now! Isn't this school just full of talented musicians!"_

I groan as the crackling voice of the intercom lets me know that, for once, my stupid idea had been right.

The whole school had been quiet. The whole school had heard, and the whole school had clapped.

I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand, already imagining how very _annoying_ it'll be at lunch time today.

Ikuto leans over and bites my ear, "You know you like the attention."

I glare at him, but, when he's not looking, I nod.

Yeah. I guess it's nice to be noticed sometimes.

**HEY! IT'S ME! I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!**

**Actually, yes. Yes, I am back. Why? Cause school is over!**

**So not looking forward to it D: Why? I don't want to go to high school! T~T**

**Gosh dangit D:**

**Anywho, I'll **_**actually**_** be updating now. Why did I not do that last time, you ask?**

**Well, that's because I'm an idiotic girl with no life and no real motivation :) **

**But, really? Finals D: I admit it, I hate finals**

**AND SPANISH IS EVIL!**

**Except I love the teacher**

**And my major project that was supposed to be over actually got picked for showcase, so I had to show it…**

**But, really? Nobody really wanted to look at it! I mean, a 50 page story written by an eighth grader? Not everyone wants to look that bad :P**

**So, yea. Anyway, I'm back!**

**And I have letters! Only, 2, cause I'm convinced that I misplaced a few…**

**Anyway, I'm open for more again! So, if you want to send me a character, friend, or your own personality and name, go on ahead!**

**I have one for me in this, cause I didn't want to put only one letter! Read on if you dare :P**

Dearest Kitty, (for servant-of-hatred)

Hi!

Bye!

…

Okay, so not really. Even I'm not that mean. I mean, as much as I want to, I wouldn't want to waste one whole paper on just saying those two lines to you.

Imagine! That would make me a bad person! Even worse than… than _you_!

Oh no, please say it's a lie. I could never be that bad, could I?

Perhaps I could. I would ignoring the needs of others, even demolishing a whole object for my own selfish need to avoid something that would take only a few minutes!

The only things that's worse than you is that my name isn't an animal…

On second thought, yes. You are worse.

At some point you have to, you know, _grow up_. This world doesn't really revolve around anything but a big big _BIG_ ball of gas and other unwanted chemicals that would definitely kill any human being close to it.

So, if you wish to be a big (and I'm talking REALLY BIG) ball of _gas_ that's generally unwanted and avoided like the plague, be my guest.

If not, don't act like such a conceited little girl who has a problem with the logics of space, alright? The world _doesn't_ revolve around you.

Geez, shock.

Gasp.

Omigawd Ima die!

See? See what I did there?

No? I expected as much. You can't seem to see that sort of thing. I'll give you a hint, I'm acting like someone. Their name starts with a "K" and ends with an "itty".

You still can't get it? Don't worry, I didn't really expect for you to. Some things, I understand, are just too far out of your mental capacity to expect for your to ever be able to comprehend

It means you. K-I-T-T-Y. Why yes, I can spell. Amazing, correct?

Especially to you.

Did you like that? How put your name in capital letters? Did it make you feel special?

Let me burst your bubble. Over the years, capital letters have come to represent an inferior intellect and an inability to keep one's mind on a certain topic for too long.

In essence, sweetheart, it means you suck.

Have a nice day!

The Broken (Scientist)

AND NOW TO ME! THE JERK WHO KEEPS SAYING THAT SHE'LL UPDATE BUT NEVER ACTUALLY DOES! (See what I did there?)

Dear Stefani, (And this one is to me ._. Cause, you know, I'm such a freak)

_Hello_.

…

That's a standard greeting for normal human beings with actual _social skills_. It is commonly used when one human sees another human that they hadn't seen for at least a few minutes. Commonly, people associate it with conversation.

Not that you'd know that. Actually, I find it amazing that you manage to remain so ignorant to the outside world. You're even worse than _me_. Really? You don't even have to try, do you? Not to make them think you're mute?

You're strange for a freak like me. I don't entirely get you.

_Me_. Not get a freak!

Imagine the horror!

But that's not the strangest part about you. The strangest part is how you get people to trust you without them knowing much about you at all. What is that? You don't even keep your promises! Perhaps you can keep a secret that you're given, but that's entirely different from keeping something that you yourself gave.

What, are you not afraid for yourself? Do you not care what happens to your name, but you do care what happens to your name.

I admire your loyalty, but I must say, that's somewhat stupid of you. Actually, I'd go as far as to say that, on a scale from stupid to not stupid, you'd be far off the edge of the _stupid_ side.

Obviously there's power in self sacrifice, but there's only so much of a liar that you can be without becoming, you know, a backstabber.

The funny part? They don't even get it! They don't even get what you're doing! That you're such an oath breaker.

That'll get you in trouble later. These people, oath breakers, don't end up too happily.

They tend to be called _cheaters_, often in games, sometimes in love.

Good luck, and good bye (that's the opposite of a greeting).

The Broken (Oath)


	24. Chapter 24

Yaya pokes me to get my attention. Right now, we're in math class and, because I'm a tutor, I am allowed to zone out (by the teacher. Obviously Yaya won't let me). "I heard you!" She's grinning at me. Next to her, Kairi (the class president and the other tutor) nods calmly.

"Heard me?" I ask before I remember what happened right after Ikuto and I had played in orchestra.

_Right, we found out that the whole thing had been processed throughout the whole school_.

She doesn't let me cover up my mistake, though. She's already rambling. "Right! You were on the intercom! I mean, that was amazing! The four of you! Did you plan it?"

Kairi talks now. It's strange to hear his voice like this. Usually he's louder and more electronic, and, in addition to that, he tends to be on a stage. "Of course they didn't plan it. Only two of them even made it to the end. It was a fluke that it was even broadcasted in the school."

She just laughs. "That was still amazing. I mean, that's supposedly the first time they've ever done that. Played music for the whole school. Did you hear that? Well, of course you did, you played it," she laughs, but then she continues after taking in a big breath of air, "Anyway, it was amazing. I could almost hear some the lyrics!"

She's giddy now, grinning at me. I don't get how she can still do that, but she does.

I'm tired just looking at her smile.

For once, Kairi talks for the second time in a class period (and the class period his sister teaches! Amazing!). I think that he's rolling his eyes when he says, "That would be because some people _were_ singing along."

Amazing! The nerd has some spunk.

Yaya stops jumping around for a moment to look at him. "Really?" She's thinking, and it's obvious. She has this strange look of concentration that I have never thought that she would ever be capable of.

She shakes it off. "Anyway, it was really good! I mean, I've heard a lot of music. My brother does a lot of music at home! He's really smart and really _really_ good, but he's nothing like the four of you. Actually, more like the two of you!"

Kairi nods, "That's correct. You and Ikuto Tsukiyomi are better together."

I love the other way that I could take that statement. Instead, I ignore that and nod in thanks.

Yaya grins. "Of course! The other two were good, but they didn't fit in. It's like you and Ikuto were made to play together! Of course, I mean, that's crazy, but it feels like it. You two were pretty good, especially together! Have you guys ever played together before? It sure sounds like it!"

I nod.

"Yeah," I'm thinking of the times that we had played together in middle school. "We've played together a few times before."

Well, more than a few times. More like many times. Very many times.

Yaya looks at me. "Hey, why'd you get all sad all of a sudden? Come on, I was trying to compliment you!" She's freaking out, "Come on! Why do I always have to say the wrong thing?"

Kairi calms her down, but I, frankly, don't care. I just sit there staring as his sister teaches math as per usual.

I'm just waiting for the bell to ring.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

And, eventually, it does.

"I heard you on the intercom." Utau is looking at me from across the lunch table. Kukai's there too, but he's not saying anything.

"Yeah," I sigh, playing with my hair. "I guess that you did."

Kukai grins before cutting her off. "With _Ikuto_."

I glare at him.

Honestly? He's worse than any girl that I'd ever been a friend of.

…

That may not be saying much, seeing as I haven't had many friends, and none of them were particularly girly nor did they know that I had used to gone out with Ikuto.

Actually, I think that Kukai is the only one who has ever talked about my relationship with Ikuto.

Strange boy.

"So? There were two other people playing."

Kukai rolls his eyes, but shuts up (thankfully). Utau, however, doesn't follow his example.

"Sure, but they dropped out while you two kept playing," she points out.

Well, duh. That's why they only announced the two of us.

"They couldn't keep up," I say. It should've been obvious. She's the one who had said that they dropped out on her own.

It's not my fault that I can keep up when they can't.

"Yet neither of you had read the music before, and they had. You could keep up when they couldn't. Why is that?"

I sigh. Why can't she just give up?

"Maybe I'm just better than them at playing," I retort, trying to find a loophole in her thinking.

"Maybe you're just better at playing with him."

I could take that one of two ways. I suppose that that means that Utau doesn't think I'm any better than Nagihiko or Tadase. I suppose that I'm not.

I take a bite out of my lunch. "Either one. You've never even heard me play alone, so you can't judge me." After all, she hasn't. At least, she hasn't heard me really playing. Not the way that I really like to play.

She sighs, defeated, but obviously determined to prove me wrong. Kukai is only laughing at us, as though he wasn't quite sure which side to take.

I glare at him, "Don't act all innocent, I know you have something that you want to say." It's obvious because of how he's sitting there.

He never _just _sits there.

He only grins at me.

What a jerk.

Utau looks to me before whispering, her words nearly covered by the loud cafeteria, "So, why were you so broken anyway?"

I sigh, hitting my head on the table as though that would make the words she'd just said go away.

It doesn't. The only thing that happens includes my head nearly dying from pain.

Seriously. It hurts.

Kukai answers for me. "You knew?"

Well, she found out. The same thing, really. Okay, so not really. From what I gathered, she only just found out.

She glances at him. "_You_ knew?"

Both of them look at me, then, as though _I_ knew what was going on (Okay, so maybe I did know what was going on, but as long as I didn't let them know, I'd be fine).

They're still looking at me when I look up from my lunch a few minutes later.

Luckily, the bell rings before they can ask me anything about, well, anything. The glare they send me as I walk away is clear, though.

They're getting me to talk later.

I walk into Language Arts before them, even though we left at the same time. Rima's there already, although that's to be expected.

Usually, when she's all alone, she actually is very early. I learned that a while ago. I think it's because she's afraid of being run over in the hallways.

She never denied that when I asked her.

Back on topic, though, I'm more surprised when I see the other person in the room. This particular person tends to be late to every single class, except for orchestra (usually).

"Hey Tsukiyomi," I nod at him before moving to sit next to Rima, even though I have around five minutes before I have to be in that particular seat.

"Hi," he whispers before dragging me out of my seat. He winks at me, "You too embarrassed to talk to me?"

Well, yea, I am.

"Why would that be? Ever think that I may just not like you?"

Not that that's true or anything.

"Anymore," I add, staring straight at his eyes so that I have the appearance of truth.

He just chuckles. "That's not going to trick me, kitten." He pulls up two handfuls of my hair into triangles. He leans down to whisper to me, "This is payback for earlier."

Payback for my payback, joy.

How I really, _really_, hate his amnesia. Nobody actually has payback for payback.

I peal myself away from him. "Whatever you want to say," I sigh before sitting next to Rima who, thankfully, asks absolutely no questions.

Gosh, I love that girl sometimes.

Our language arts teacher comes in then, and makes the students settle down. Luckily I'm able to pay at least some attention.

However, when she starts talking about character development, I zone out completely.

Instead I'm thinking of what awaits for me tonight during my math tutoring session with Yaya and Utau.

_Utau_.

I'm not looking forward to answering questions.


	25. Chapter 25

Utau corners me right after class. Rima slinks away as soon as she does, mumbling something about having to watch TV before nine at night.

What a lucky freak. Why can she go but I can't? Honestly, this sucks.

Not that I'll tell Utau that. It's obvious that Utau would tear me limb from limb if she caught me saying anything about how very _boring_ our whole endeavor is.

I keep my mouth shut.

"You're coming to my house this afternoon, so get your stuff so we can get going," Utau glares at me before turning with a huff and walking away.

I blink a few times at where she just was.

_Well, that was lucky of me_. I sigh before heading back to get my viola. The rest of my stuff I carry around with me because I, frankly, like to avoid all possible pranks that involve lockers which, according to the incredibly cliché (yet oh so true) rules of high school, would be nearly all of them.

So, of course, I don't use my assigned locker _ever_.

As I'm walking down the hallway, I run into Ikuto. And, by run into Ikuto, I mean he grabs me from behind and carries me to the orchestra room, my wailing following him everywhere.

"What was that for?" I screech at him as soon as he lets me down. I brush off some unseen and yet deadly 'Ikuto germs' before staring straight at him again. "Well? I can walk, you know."

He smirks. "Where's the fun in that?"

I only stick my tongue out at him, hoping that he'll leave me alone so that I can rush off to his house before him.

Apparently he doesn't like that idea. No matter how hard I try to be rid of him, at last, he doesn't seem to budge.

It hurts me to see him like this. He seems so much more like that Ikuto that I used to know now. So much so that I nearly want to kill him so that he wouldn't be so – how should I say it? – Ikuto-ish.

Yes, if only he wasn't so Ikuto-ish anymore, that would make forgetting how much I liked him _so_ much easier.

Instead, he has the nerve to be himself.

What a jerk.

I brush him off as I try to reach for my viola which had somehow found it appropriate to disappear into the highest cubby.

"Need some help with that?" It's Ikuto again, only this time he's leaning over to whisper in my ear in the most annoyingly hot way possible.

Not that it was _that_ hot, I just mean that his breath was way too hot, and the weather outside wasn't exactly cold, so his body heat wasn't exactly helping my case.

Needless to say, my whole body floods with even more heat than usual. I huff, although I still step aside for him to get my viola. "Yeah, sure."

Inside I'm quite happy that he offered to help me (really considerate of him), but on the outside the only proof is that I'm flushed red.

I seriously hope nobody sees that, although I am really sure that it's pretty dang obvious to anyone who dares to look at this unsuspecting, innocent, and conniving girl.

There have been few times that I have hoped that nobody cared about me, but this has certainly been one of them.

I look to my left to avoid looking at him, but still smile as the familiar tearing leather handle of my viola case meets my hand. After that, Ikuto goes to grab his own violin which, noticeably, is next to where my viola used to be.

"Stay after you're doing whatever with my sister, we're going to practice." He looks at me over his shoulder as he walks away, "The other two should already be there by the time that you are done doing whatever it is that you're trying to do." He pushes open the heavy door that connects the orchestra room directly to the outdoor freedom and quickly slinks out.

I sigh. I wonder how my day became so very packed without my knowledge. It's almost as though the only one that doesn't know my schedule is me, which kind of sucks.

You know, because it's _my_ schedule, and I kind of have _other things to do_. Of course, this may come as a surprise to some. It seems that most people simply assume that I have no life.

I do have a life. It just doesn't seem to include too many parties and is too packed with other people's problems and things that I don't care about, random stalking that I didn't even know that I was doing and more random information on random people that I, honestly, don't want to know the deepest darkest secrets of.

That's right, I really couldn't care less about the personal information of all of these people.

I shrug my bag farther up my shoulder before finally following after Ikuto to the outside world. The heat hits me in a single wave, and I rush to find my car (wherever I ended up parking it before Kukai had ran over to me this morning) before I start melting.

For a moment I feel like I'm failing.

"Yo! Hinamori!" Kukai is running over to me excitedly, although I can tell that the heat is affecting him, too. He's panting slightly more than usual, and his whole body looks like it has been painted a light pink.

I sigh. "Hi Kukai," I quickly wipe some sweat off of the top of my brow, "Do you remember where I parked my car?"

And yes, I do realize that it's very inconsiderate to ask someone where I parked my car, but I'm kind of desperate right now.

He grins, though. "Yeah. Actually, I was wondering if you could give me a ride, too. I have to go to Ikuto's – you know where that is, right? – to get tutored by some people. Supposedly it's a group of people there, too, who are tutors, and a bunch of them are going to be there anyway because of a music group with Ikuto."

I sigh, but nod. "Yeah, sure Kukai. I have to head over there to tutor Utau, anyway."

He grins. "You're the best, Hinamori!" Then he gives me a hug that I, honestly, could've done without.

Actually, I much rather would've gone without that hug.

I sigh. 'Yeah, no problem Kukai."

Then he looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Right! Anyway, I know where your car is, so just follow me!"

And so I do because, honestly, I'm literally melting through my sweat. And yes, I do realize that that should be impossible because of the excretory system and all of that jazz, but really?

It isn't natural to sweat this much.

Kukai leads me over to a spot near the soccer field where, thankfully, my car is waiting for me under the cover of a tall tree.

I laugh. Of course, it's because the heat is getting to me and I was literally thinking about attempting to write my will in a few minutes before I died from heat exhaustion or something, no joke.

…

Okay, so maybe a little of a joke.

The two of us drive in silence for the first half of the short ride to the Tsukiyomi household. Then, he decides to break the silence.

"How did Utau know?" He's looking at me, although he knows that I cannot look back and, furthermore, that I doubtlessly am as clueless as she.

"Dunno," I say, focusing on the road. He doesn't talk to me any more after that, and we just allow silence to surround us (which must annoy him to no end) until I pull up at the Tsukiyomi house.

Utau answers the door. "Amu!" She screeches before dragging me inside and leaving Kukai outside. "Yaya is busy talking to Kairi so, while we wait for her, let's just go upstairs into my room and get started."

I know what she means as soon as she says that, and mentally prepare myself.

You know, cause this, like so many other things this day seem to, sucks.

"Alright," I say before dejectedly following her up the stairs. I don't really know if I'm happy that the heat didn't kill me right now.

Actually, I'm kind of hoping that it would've just to spare me and Utau the trouble of a murder.

We get into her room and she slams the door behind me.

"You know, I can't believe that I didn't know it was you as soon as I got those pictures from Ikuto," she looks at me warily."I mean, of _course_ he would've told you. The two of you were probably even watching me when I was on television. You probably even saw me professing my love to my brother."

The blush on my cheeks tells her that she's right.

She sighs. "But I didn't. I mean, I thought that you wouldn't know that much about me. That's the whole point of being _untouchable_. Nobody's supposed to touch you with their hands, feet, feelings, or a ten-foot pole. So how did you know that I liked him?"

She stops and sighs, giving me the chance to interrupt her rant.

"I didn't," I say. "I mean, I thought that it could be true, but—" I look at her.

"But what?"

"How could I know for sure? I didn't exactly know you well enough to read you like a book. I just kind of guessed and, apparently, I was right." I smirk at her.

She gasps. "Oh! You are such a little _freak_!" She screams before lunging at me. Only, I dodge her easily.

"Now, you answer me. If you didn't find out because I was your brother's old girlfriend, how _did_ you find out?"

She smiles sheepishly. "Just because I'm no good at math doesn't mean I'm stupid. That note you put out addressed to everyone who got a letter never made it out because _I_ got it."

What note addressed to everyone? At first, I'm confused, but then I remember the note that I wrote just after sending off a note to my little sister.

"Alright?"

She laughs. "So, it was the only note you wrote by hand. For all of the other ones, or at least the one that I got, you had made some sort of effort that efficiently kept people from checking your handwriting against other samples. Only, this one you forgot to do. I was completely stumped at first. I mean, I could tell that it was your natural handwriting. Ikuto-" I cringe as she says his name "-has forged enough documents for me to tell the difference, but I couldn't match it to anything."

I tilt my head as a sign to continue.

Now _she_ smirks. "Then Yaya brought me a note that you had written in Language Arts. She said that the handwriting was yours, but she thought it looked familiar from somewhere else, too, so she brought it over to me. By that time, we both knew that more just one person had gotten a letter."

As this sinks in, I narrow my eyes at Utau. "So did you tell Yaya?"

She grins, "No."

I sigh in relief.

"But," she continues, "if you don't give my brother a second chance at whatever it is he wants a second chance at, _everybody_ will know. I'll post it out there, or something. Your dirty little secret won't be much of a secret anymore."

I sigh. "Alright. I'll give him a chance," I say. I would've given him a chance, anyway.

She doesn't need to know that, though.

"Alright! Now, let's go find Yaya before she starts wondering where we went off to!" Utau is grinning again, no sign that she'd just blackmailed me evident.

But I know she did, so I just narrow my eyes at her.

She swings the door open, only to find Nagihiko on the other side. I'm not nearly as surprised as Utau is, though—he has the light steps of a dancer.

"Yaya is ready," he nods at us before winking at me. "You should tell Utau to keep your secrets quieter. Someone may find it out someday by just walking by if she keeps saying it that loud."

I glare at Utau as she runs away downstairs.

I groan. That girl will be the death of me, yet (but only if the heat doesn't get to me first).


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: Sorry if you've read this for 25 whole chapters (lol) and not known this, but, no, I do not own Shugo Chara! :P**

I follow after Utau somewhat less enthusiastically than I should've.

'Less enthusiastically' meaning that I was dragging my feet and trying to trip myself on the off chance that I fall down and break my neck when I hit the floor.

Utau doesn't notice.

"Utau-chan! Amu-chi!" Yaya grins before bounding over to Utau at the bottom of the stairway. "I was wondering where the two of you went! I mean, I was just talking to Kairi-kun here," she motions to the class president as an afterthought, as though, despite his being the main reason she didn't notice us, he wasn't too important, "and then you were gone! I almost wanted to run throughout the whole house looking for you, but Nagihiko said he saw you go upstairs, and so I said I would go, but he did, and then—"

Kairi sighs before skillfully covering her mouth with one of his hands. "And then the rest is history," he says, giving us the short yet accurate version of whatever Yaya was about to go on about.

Nagihiko is behind us, though I know that he's smiling. "We should start tutoring, or else we will never get through with our session before we have to practice."

I sigh, ready to hit my head on something. We hadn't even started tutoring yet, but I'm ready to start searching for some possible ways to kill myself.

Kukai, who had, surprisingly, snuck up on the group, agrees. "Yeah. I mean, I'm not a part of that music thing, but 'practice makes perfect'!"

Utau glares at him. "Actually, 'Perfect practice makes perfect'. Trust me, if it's anything like what we heard over the announcements, only two of them are even close to being perfect."

"That would be you and me, _Amu_," someone whispers into my hair.

"Ikuto!" I screech, jumping up as he chuckles and backs off. "Don't _do _that!" My cheeks are undoubtedly red already from the heat, and he's certainly not making it any better.

… Speaking of not making anything better… "Hey, where's Tadase?" I look around the room for the blond boy, but find him nowhere. "I thought he was supposed to be here already."

And he's never _ever_ late.

Nagihiko, who had stepped over to where I could see him, shrugs. "I didn't see him, if that's what you're asking."

Right on cue, the doorbell rings. I quickly try to hide myself behind a corner or _something_ so that I won't be directly in front of the door when somebody finally opens it up.

Of course, that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon. In fact, everybody else is hiding behind a corner, like me, or simply ignoring the person at the door.

The person rings the doorbell again. "Guys, I know that you're in there!"

It's Tadase.

"You know, somebody has to open the door," Utau says as she glances at the door. "I didn't invite him. Actually, you know what, all of us tutoring people don't have anything to do with him. We're going upstairs."

Kairi suppresses a sigh of relief, and Kukai and Yaya break out cheering before racing up the stairs.

Kukai looks back. "Sorry, guys, but with this, you're on your own!"

When they're gone, I sigh. I look for the two other people who should be staying over with me, but they're already bent over their instruments, busily tuning and rosining their bows.

_What ever happened to chivalry?_ I grumble under my breath as I make my way, as slowly as possible, to the door that leads outside.

Of course, every second I waste is another second that Tadase is stuck outside.

In the heat.

All alone.

Stranded.

Not that I care. Here and now it's survival of the smartest, and it's not very smart to open up that door.

Sadly for me, I'm a nice person (unlike two certain some ones). I gulp before opening the door, only to be met with a wave of heat and a sighing Tadase.

"It's not very courteous to leave a guest outside," Tadase says before he looks up. "Oh, hello Hinamori-san. Where are Ikuto and Nagihiko?" He starts to wildly look around for the other two members of our group.

I growl. "Get in, I'll tell you after."

Surprisingly, he doesn't get mad at me for that. He only gratefully walks in before I slam the door behind him.

The air-conditioning (that I actually never left) feels like heaven.

I nod over to where Ikuto and Nagihiko were safely getting ready. "They're over there, getting ready. We should go there, too."

He smiles. "Alright, Hinamori-san," he says before thanking me and heading to the other two boys.

I just shake my head. Of course it's nice of him to thank me, but if only he knew that I was thinking of ways to kill him for making me walk over there.

He wouldn't be so thankful then.

"Amu," Ikuto waves me over. "We can only look at you for so long without getting bored."

I start to go over to them before I think of his words.

Why would they be looking at me?

I decide not to think of it too hard, because it's bound to be something perverted and generally unpleasant.

Yeah, not thinking about it sounds like a good idea.

I quickly walk over to my viola case and unpack. After rosining my bow, I play it across the strings.

"Could one of you play your strings?" I ask the other three so that I can tune my instrument to them.

Both Nagihiko and Ikuto nod. Nagihiko plays his c-string so that I can tune my lowest string to the same pitch, but he stops after that.

"Ikuto should play the rest, so that Tadase can tune, too," Nagihiko explains before I have a chance to ask him why he stopped playing.

"Alright," I nod.

When Tadase tells him he's ready, Ikuto quickly plays each of his string, giving us about ten seconds to tune to him per string.

Tadase doesn't make it past the first. Ikuto, though, wouldn't play for him after that, so I have to play all of the notes (except for E, of course) on my viola.

"That wasn't very mature," I chide Ikuto half-heartedly, knowing that he doesn't care in the least about his maturity.

As expected, he only smirks before going back to focusing completely on his violin.

He's always been like that. We used to joke that his violin was his first love.

He'd said that that was disgusting, because it was his father's love, too, which meant that it was too old for him.

"Are we going to play, or what?" I ask after waiting about ten minutes for something to happen.

Nagihiko and Tadase look at Ikuto and me before looking back to each other and talking about something that I, frankly, didn't have the need to pay attention to.

They'd say when they reached a conclusion; it's really no use to eavesdrop.

Eventually, they do, and they turn to Ikuto and me.

It's Nagihiko who talks. "Actually, Tadase and I have to practice it. Why don't you two just talk?" Nagihiko says. Logically, of course, this makes sense. They _had_ dropped out quite early in orchestra earlier today.

But I don't really want to give Ikuto enough time to talk to me.

Ikuto, however, doesn't see it the way I do. "That's fine," he says as he looks at me. "We're going to go into a different room so that you don't have to feel too embarrassed when you mess up the song horribly."

Not like that didn't make them embarrassed. I shoot a pleading glare at Nagihiko, trying to send him a message that says _HELP! I do not want to talk to with him!_

Apparently, he doesn't get it.

"Alright," he says with a kind smile.

Tadase is glaring at us as we make our way to another room, as though somewhat hurt by Ikuto's comment (Not like he should be, Ikuto says that sort of thing to him specifically a lot).

When we get to the other room, Ikuto traps me against the wall.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks, leaning his head on my shoulder calmly. "If you knew me before, why didn't you say anything?"

I blink. "I don't like talking to people who don't know me."

"But you knew _me_!"

I sigh, pulling at my hair nervously, "You should be quieter, Nagihiko and Tadase will hear you."

He ignores me. "You know, I would've believed you. I've always known you from somewhere. I knew that I _used _to _know_ you since I first saw you."

I laugh coldly. "This isn't some movie, Ikuto, things don't work that way. You don't magically remember everything because I tell you my name or I kiss you or any of that random junk that producers make up. Amnesia doesn't work that way."

He smiles, despite everything that I had just said to him. "We can always try, and, if that doesn't work, we can always start over."

"I've never really been too good about starting things."

"Think of it as fixing something," he retorts, now speaking against my skin.

"I'm not too good at fixing things, either."

He just smirks. "I'll give you a bet, then."

I raise an eyebrow. I find it funny that he still knows me so well that he knows that a bet will work, even though he doesn't know me at all.

"A bet for what?" I ask before I can think it through properly. I really could never hold out when it comes to bets or anything of the like.

_Come to think of it, that's the sort of thing that lead to us going out after our first kiss in the first place._

He's _always_ known that I can't help taking bets.

"If I remember anything at all in the next month, I win. If I don't, you win."

I nod, although I honestly don't see how that is my winning.

"Alright, I'm in. What do we get if we win?"

He smirks. "You get anything you want," he says.

I raise an eyebrow. "And you? I really want to know what I'm getting myself into before I'm knee deep."

"I get the same."

I shrug. "Sounds fair enough."

"But you have to go out with me for at least a little of that time," he adds.

I nod.

He doesn't need to know that I'd go out with him anyway, or that I promised Utau that I'd give him a chance, anyway. He doesn't need to know that I didn't really have a choice in the matter. He doesn't need to know any of this stuff.

Then we just stand there, still against each other on the wall, for a while, before he bites my ear and pulls away. Despite being used to his crazy antics by now, I blush.

Then I think of something else. "Oh, and I think that he'd want me to tell you this, too," I say, leaning against the wall and as far away from Ikuto as possible.

He nods to tell me that I should go on.

"Kukai used to be your best friend," I say, "Just thought you might want to know."

Ikuto nods. We hear Nagihiko and Tadase slowly ending the song, signaling that it's about time for us to move back out to the room where our instruments await us.

I move to go to the door before getting pulled back by a hesitant looking Ikuto.

"What?" I ask.

Then he quickly leans in kisses me on my lips.

Right as the doors open.

"Did we miss something?"

**:D OKAI! HERE ISH THE CHAPTER! :D :D :D**

**And off to the letters :) (That I keep forgetting to add on to the end o-o)**

**By the way, you can still send in more! (Actually, you can always send in more ._.)**

**R&R :)**

Dear Kepei, (For… Kepei! Thanks for the review!)

Hello Kepei!

That's an interesting name, isn't it? Actually, I'm inclined to say that it's the most interesting thing about you. I get it. I mean, to an extent you have to be quiet. A lot of people are.

I mean, I even get your obsession with books!

Yet, that's where it ends. And by it, I mean everything about you ends. It's like that all you've got. Books, silence, and an interesting name. I mean, _come on_!

Here's to thinking that people with interesting names should actually be interesting as well. For a moment (when I learned your name, of course), I was actually ready to meet you! I mean 'Oh, wow! _Kepei_! That must be a cool person!'.

Oh, poor me. I was sadly mistaken. Instead of some epic person I had so wrongly thought up, I got you.

Yes. I only got you, and, for your information, that is supposed to be meant in the nicest way possible.

(Or not). Actually, I'm sure that there is no nice way to see that. You are boring. Boring is you. The end. Nice knowing you, adios, so long, hasta la vista.

And, as if that's not enough, you have some sort of conditional bipolar attitude.

I mean, quiet and loud, and that same time? That's like whispering and yelling right after the other. It sounds like a headache and feels like one, too.

As in, it sucks.

Sure, it's nice and all when you (Kepei) actually live up to your name, but that's it.

It gets kind of annoying. And just when I was getting used to the boredom that generally follows you everywhere like a shadow.

Shame, shame, shame.

The Broken (Entertained and Thoroughly Disappointed Citizen)

_:D_

Dear Cai, (Thanks to SDDZXCodeKnight0)

Greetings to Cai, the gender confused.

Or just Cai, that works, too.

Or perhaps Cai the generally confused.

Cai the generally confused and unmotivated?

Cai the generally confused, unmotivated, and indecisive?

Cai the generally confused, unmotivated, indecisive, unhappy, unathletic, and…

On second thought, I think Cai is good. Short and straight to the point.

Let's take the name's example, shall we?

Stop being so confused. There, simple answer for you. If you want to be friends with some people, be friends with them.

It's a done deal. There, the end. How confusing could it be?

And then, while you're at it, choose a favorite color. And, yes, I know that there's a whole entire rainbow of colors to pick from, but that's the fun part. It's basically like choosing one thing and completely discarding the rest as though they were a piece of trash.

Kind of fun, actually.

Favoritism is pretty much screwing up the plans and all about everything else in the world. Like acting for your own selfish reasons.

Actually, it is acting for your own selfish reasons, but that's beside the point.

The point is, sometimes, choosing to do something and then sticking with it makes everything better. It fixes a lot of things (including, but not limited to, confusion, motivation, overall decision making, and the like).

So yes, please, make up your mind, will you?

The Broken (I'm not quite sure what to put here…)


	27. Chapter 27

I stare at the two standing in the doorway. I push Ikuto off me easily before facing them, nervously scratching at the back of my neck. "No, why do you ask?"

Neither look convinced.

Nagihiko blinks, trying to shake off his shock. "I could've sworn that the two of you were just kis—"

I laugh nervously to cut him off. "No. Nope. No way. Why would I kiss him?"

I cross my fingers behind my back, hoping that Ikuto will go with my lie.

"She's right. I kissed her."

… Darn that boy.

"So you were kissing," Tadase points out, looking completely uninterested. In fact, he looks about as interested in this whole thing as I feel.

As in, he doesn't look interested at all.

"Yes, yes, we were kissing," I sigh, shooting a glare at Ikuto when I see him smirking from the corner of my eye. "_Now_, can we _please_ practice now? As in all four of us? If not, can I be stuck with someone who _isn't_ Ikuto?"

Said boy just wraps his arms around me. "Are you trying to say that you don't like my company?" He pouts, as though that would do anything to change my mind.

I blink. "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm trying to say."

Tadase looks about ready to kill Ikuto. He's practically seething as he stalks back over to the area with all of our instruments. "Let's just get on with practicing," he growls.

Hmm, somebody's touchy today.

And, no, it's not me this time.

Much to my relief, Ikuto abandons me for the inanimate musical instrument.

"You know, I'm still going to pwn you at violin, no matter how long you just practiced," Ikuto taunts Tadase, trying and succeeding in getting a rise out of the boy.

But that's not what I'm paying attention to, because that's to be affective.

Did he just use the word _pwn_? I mean, I get it, that used to be his favorite word, but he stopped using it when he lost his memories.

I narrow my eyes at him, deciding that he's just messing with me (because, all things considered, that's a really common occurrence).

He doesn't even look at me.

"So, who is starting us off with the tempo?" Ikuto asks this after a few minutes of silence. I don't answer because the viola never starts out and, for the record, I suck at leading anyway.

Everyone just looks at Ikuto. Tadase seems a little peeved, as though mad that Ikuto is even asking this and opening up old wounds. Nagihiko doesn't look annoyed. He looks like he's only looking at Ikuto to answer a question.

Obviously it's Ikuto. As per usual.

He nods before placing his violin on his shoulder. He breathes in deeply, in a way to let us know that he's about to start, and suddenly we're playing the music again.

I can hear the lyrics in his piece.

"_I used to rule the world!"_

It takes me a moment to realize that someone is actually singing the piece.

She, the singer, has a magnificent voice. It's a wonder that I don't stumble on the notes, especially since I don't have the music in front of me, I'm listening to her that intensely.

Of course it's Utau. She's the only one with a voice like that here.

My fingers glide on the fingerboard easily. I sneak a look at Nagihiko and Tadase to see them completely entranced by the music that they'd remembered to pull out. I look at Ikuto, after.

It seems he's winging it.

And he's quite good at that, actually.

_"Be my mirror, my sword and shield!"_

I hear someone, probably Kukai, randomly hitting things around the house as though they were drums. He doesn't know how to play the drums.

But, I must say, he's quite god at it. It seems he's always had a thing for rhythms.

I'm focusing on Ikuto, still, trying to match the direction and speed of his bow most of the times. I'm his accompaniment. Not Tadase.

Tadase and Nagihiko seem to fade in the background, playing an important yet uninteresting part of the music, at least when compared to Ikuto's part.

I hear Yaya dragging Kairi to his feet, his protests to this action, as well. Utau moves towards Ikuto, and Kukai is beside her.

I pay no mind, although I know that Yaya and Kairi are directly behind me. There is no reason for me to worry about it, they won't do anything to distract me.

Again, I follow Ikuto.

Again, Nagihiko and Tadase drop out.

Oh, joy. You know what this means?

It means I'm going to be stuck in a room with Ikuto again.

_Sigh_.

Before I know it, the music has brought me out of this world and into another that, amazingly, seems only to focus on sound.

A violin. A singer. Makeshift drums. A viola.

_"But that was when I ruled the world!"_

Before I know it, the music is done.

"We _still_ have a lot of work to do," Ikuto says, his arms already around me. I don't remind him being there, but I nod anyway.

It's obvious that he's talking about all of us. Obvious Ikuto and I hadn't gotten much better in the time that we hadn't been practicing.

Although, in our defense, neither had Nagihiko nor Tadase, both of whom _had _actually made some sort of effort.

Nagihiko has a gentle smile on his face. "At least I lasted longer than last time!"

Not that last time was that long.

**Lol o-o Short chapter is short D: And late ._.**

** Actually, that's why it's short :D Cause I'm such a procrastinator ._.**

**Anywho, It'll be longer next time! Thanks for reading!**

**R&R :) FOR IT MAKES ME HAPPEH :D**

**And happy me means longer updates and less procrastination ._.**

**(Notice I said less, not no)**


	28. Chapter 28

It's been a few very awkward days since Ikuto and I made that bet and, in turn, have started going out. Now, to a normal person, this may not sound too bad, but my whole life is one long moment of 'awkward' stretched out. So, to me, "very awkward" is at the point that most people would start avoiding whatever caused the awkwardness to manifest.

All that aside, we _have _successfully been going out. Actually, more like saying we were going out. So far we've had exactly zero dates and one hundred twelve awkward moments and/or silences.

One of such we're currently involved in. We'd actually been talking like normal civilized human beings for once (notice I said _like_, as in, we're not really normal civilized human beings, but we can pretend), when Kukai and Utau barged into the room.

Now, normally this wouldn't be awkward enough to be dubbed 'awkward silence' material, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they didn't "just so happen to be there" like they'd said.

Awkward silence commence.

Luckily, Kukai can't take silences. He looks between the two of us, clearly amused. "So, I'm guessing that this is what it was like when you two started going out for the first time? Glad I didn't have to suffer through it."

I glare at him, but Ikuto is clearly more amused than I am.

"At least I don't remember the first time. The only one living through this torture twice is Amu," he chuckles.

I don't find it so funny.

"The _first_ time was nowhere near as awkward as this is," I point out, not that anyone really cares.

"Really? What _was_ the first time like, then?" Ikuto asks.

I blush, because the way he says it, it seems like we're not talking about the first time that we went out.

It sounds a bit more…

Right, never mind. I said nothing.

He raises an eyebrow, as though to ask why I'm blushing, but the smirk on his face shows that he clearly meant for me to think of _that_.

"Oh, you know why!" I screech. It takes me a moment to realize that I'd just aid something out loud.

He smirks.

I sigh. "Fine, then."

Kukai grins. He happily plops down onto a seat near Ikuto. Ikuto reclines in his chair, and I can tell that he's as interested in the story as Kukai seems. Utau hovers nearby, as though she wants to know, but she doesn't want to admit that she wants to know.

I look to her. "You should take a seat, it may not be long, but I don't want you to be complaining to me later about sore feet.

She scowls, but complies.

"Are you going to start?" Utau, obviously a bit impatient, asks me.

"I don't want to, but I suppose I will."

I sigh again before launching into my story. Now, it's not much, but it's enough for me to get lost in my memories.

"I guess that you don't need to know how or why we got together as much as you should know about what happened the first time we did actually go somewhere together. I guess I should say that we started out as friends, because the only one who knows that much is Kukai.

"So, of course we did actually have our share of awkward moments, but," I stare at all three of them, "of course, it wasn't nearly as _awkward_ as this."

_Ikuto stares at me from across the table. We weren't really doing anything, but neither of us could really think of anything important to do or say._

_ "You know, it never used to be this awkward," I muse, pulling a piece of hair between my fingers and twisting it absentmindedly._

_ He spots it and reaches across the table to stop me. "You don't have to be nervous," he says with a smirk, although I can tell that he's nervous, too._

_ How contradictory. Like one of those people who tell you one thing and do the other._

_ Also known as pure evil._

_ "It doesn't have to be so awkward here, either," I retort, glaring at him. Of course it just sort of ended up being awkward. Perhaps that's a requirement of new couples, particularly couples that started out as friends._

_ Awkward should be expected._

_ "Then why don't we go ahead and actually do something?" He rolls his eyes, as though our idleness is my fault._

_ Obviously it's his fault. He's the one who asked me, so he should know where he's asking me to (granted I probably should've known where we were going before actually saying 'yes')._

_ I know he doesn't want to go to the movies. The last movie that he wanted to see we'd already gone to. In fact, he thought the movies currently there were all stupid and pointless recollections of past hallucinations._

_ He also doesn't want to go out to eat anywhere. Rather, he knows that I don't want to go out to eat anywhere. It's a waste of money for things that I would rather cook on my own._

_ We could go to the park, but I don't suppose that that's a really 'date appropriate' place to go._

_ Not that I care. But I suppose that he might._

_ "Want to go to the pet shop?" He asks, "Today they brought in the new cats."_

_ I stare at him. Of course, it's a Saturday. Every week (supposedly, neither of us had every gone) the local pet store brought in cats. From what we've heard, they're always open to more helping hands._

_ "Sure," I wink at him. "You sure it'll be fine?"_

_ He smirks, a real smirk that has no underlying nervous energy to it. "No," he admits, "But there's a first to everything."_

_ Then he kisses me again before grabbing my hand and dragging me outside. I know I'm blushing, but I sincerely don't care._

_ I happily follow, swinging our hands back and forth with every step. _A first to everything.

_ Kind of like this whole 'dating' experience. Kind of 'first'-ish to me. Seems like it to me._

_ Let's hope that they both end up well._

_ When we got to the store, the cats had already arrived. People had already surrounded the cages, so we have to push our way to the person in charge. We tell her that we want to help, and she looks a bit surprised._

_ "You want to help? But you're hardly older than fourteen!" She exclaims, looking first to Ikuto, and then to me, "And she can't be more than thirteen."_

_ I twitch. "Miss, you're a year off. I'm twelve, and he's the one that's thirteen."_

_ She doesn't budge. "That only makes matters worse. How should I know that you're to handle the cats correctly? You're only kids!"_

_ And, just so you know, she seems to _only _be ancient. Every second that I stare at he she seems more and more likely to just fall in a heap onto the floor._

_ Ikuto, thankfully, speaks up before I speak my opinion. "You seem to be short on staff, we just thought we'd try and help out."_

_ It's true, of course. I squeeze Ikuto's hand as a way to say thank you to him for delaying my outburst. "Thanks," I whisper so that the lady in front of us can't hear._

_ She doesn't. Or, at least, she doesn't do anything to make me believe that she has. She only sighs and nods her head. "You've caught me," she admits. "I'm terribly short on helpers, but they won't let anyone younger than sixteen sign up to volunteer."_

_ I don't think about what I say next (because, you know, I'm a genius). "Then we won't sign up."_

_ The lady seems confused, but Ikuto immediately catches on. "We don't need the hours or anything; just let us volunteer so that we can volunteer."_

_ She smiles. "Thanks a lot for your kind intentions, but I'm afraid that I can't do that. It's immoral to cheat you out of hours that you've earned."_

_ "No!" Ikuto insists. "I mean, you won't be cheating me at all. Actually, we only wanted to come to see that cats."_

_ "Really? Well then, I must say, you and your friend are quite the young cat-lovers."_

_ He smiles, hugging me and resting his chin on my shoulder. "I suppose you could say that. So, may we?"_

_ She nods. "Just as long as you say that you only wanted to see the cats for a while, if someone asks. I can't very well have you admitting that I let you volunteer."_

_ I grin, "Not volunteering, we just so happen to accidentally help out from time to time."_

_ She matches my smile with her own. "Are the two of you saying that you're going to come back?"_

_ Ikuto looks at me as though meaning to ask if I wanted to._

_ I nod, happily accepting because, _come on!

CATS!

_Who wouldn't agree? (And, I mean, what person with a boyfriend who is practically a cat himself wouldn't agree. I know full well that someone who doesn't like cats would not agree)._

"And so the rest of the time we just helped out there."

Utau stares at me. "That hardly sounds like a first date. That's like the sort of thing you do after you'd been dating for a while, so you know that the other person won't run off because of your poor taste in date locations."

I glare. "You don't even know the whole thing!"

Because, let's face it, I didn't tell the whole thing.

Some memories I just have to keep between Ikuto and myself (And, seeing as Ikuto seems to have forgotten many of these memories, I just keep them to myself).

Kukai doesn't look all too impressed either. "Dude, why didn't you do something more interesting?"

Ikuto shrugs, as though he can't believe that he'd ever do that for a first date.

I know better. Actually, I _have_ to know better. I was there. That was the first date.

Ikuto knows better, too. I can tell by the way that he's trying to remember something about it, even if Kukai and Utau don't realize it.

"Well, enough of story time," I tease the three of them as I stand up and wipe off some imaginary dirt from my shorts. "I've got to go before it's too dark for me to see my way home."

Ikuto stands up when I'm at the door. "I'll walk you home," he says. I don't know why he says it, be it courtesy or anything of the like, but I'm glad.

Very glad.

"Alright, then. I suppose that you know the way by now?" I wink at him. I know that he must. The last few days he's insisted on walking me home from school.

I can only describe it as desperation. Perhaps he thinks that, if he can spend every waking moment with me, then he'll remember something. _Anything._

It hasn't worked yet, but I suppose that it's only been a few days yet.

The walk home makes my count one hundred thirteen for awkward moments. He doesn't even try to make me comfortable on our walk. It's only when we get to my house that he's his normal perverted self.

I decide that I like him perverted more than I like him when he's quiet.

"I'll see you later, then?" I ask him, eying him suspiciously.

Now, to anyone else, that would be a plea to see the other soon.

He knows better.

He pouts. "Why won't you let me come in?"

I roll my eyes. "Because you don't really want to meet my parents again."

He sighs, "I don't even remember the first time, though." He pouts, but leans in to kiss my check. "But yes, you'll see me later." As per usual, he then bites my ear lobe.

"Now, how soon is later?" I eye him suspiciously.

I know he doesn't remember, but he used to always come by my balcony later the same night. He hasn't done that yet, but that doesn't mean that I'm not suspicious of him.

"That's for me to know," he leans in and kisses me quickly, "and for you to find out."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, sure, mystery boy."

He chuckles (probably because of my blush). "Definitely."

**See! That was twice as long as the last one! (Now, seeing as this one is pretty short, that says something about the last one).**

** I'm glad that you all review :) Reviews make meh happeh :D**

**HAPPEH x)**

** Heh, okai, and now I shall update ._.**

**Cause there's really no use procrastinating once I'm done (and I'm glad to know that pretty much everyone here is a procrastinator :) harhar, perhaps I shall blame the website for my procrastinating-ness)**

** R&R! **


	29. Chapter 29

Later that night I was staring at my desk, bored out of my wits. Lately there's been no homework. Supposedly there was a teacher work day coming up and, because, you know, teachers have so much to do that doesn't involve teaching (yeah, I didn't buy it either), we don't have anything to do for school.

I groan. Having nothing to do for school should be exciting, but I truly have nothing to do and, therefore, I am bored out of my wits.

"Eep!" I sit up when I hear thunder and see a flash of lightning. _Just what I need_, I stare out of a window. The storm is clearly close by, as the thunder and lightning weren't far apart at all. The rain started right after the thunder, and I can hardly hear myself thinking.

_Exactly what I needed_.

Because, you know, there's _nothing_ like a nice thunderstorm to create extreme paranoia.

Oh, I love paranoia. It's like the whole world is simply determined to make my life miserable.

Actually, I'm sure nothing – _nothing_ – could make this worse.

"Open the window!"

…

Oh, please no.

I stalk over to the balcony's glass sliding doors, glaring at the person on the other side. He looks cranky and, for the record, wet from where I'm standing.

"Ikuto," I say, "why would you be here in the rain?"

"Well… I was walking around and then it just started raining, so I was hoping you could let me in?" He seems to speak his statement more like a question than anything, and he's looking at me as though I hold his fate in my hands.

Do I? I don't know, it's very possible. "Don't get anything wet," I sigh, opening the doors and pulling him in. "The moment my dad comes, you're hiding or getting out of here, okay?"

He grins. "Yeah."

"You're also out of here as soon as the storm settles, okay?"

He nods again before falling onto my bed.

I gasp. "H-hey! I told you not to get anything wet!"

"You did?" He smiles at me. "I guess I missed that."

"Missed it? You _agreed_ that you wouldn't!" I huff. "I should've known that you were lying, you cat." Not that cats are bad. I like cats, but they can be quite deceitful.

"I did?" He grins, showing that he remembered clearly and was only asking the question to spite me.

And spite me hid did.

That _jerk_.

I decide that it would only make him happier to have me reply to him, so, instead, I end up turning away and ignoring him completely.

He chuckles. "I guess that's a 'yes'?"

Instead of answering him, I look outside the windows in my room. "You're getting kicked out of here as soon as the rain stops."

"So you've said. Are you that excited to get rid of me, _Amu_?" He clutches his chest, as though to make it seem like I was hurting his heart. "That hurts me right here. I didn't know strawberries could be so mean."

I roll my eyes before walking to him and kicking him off my bed, smothering him with my now-soaked comforter before replacing him on the soft mattress and now-exposed sheets. "If you keep talking," I growl, "then it'll hurt _down_ _there_. So I'd shut up if I were you." I stop to think before remembering something. "Anyway, I'm not a strawberry."

He doesn't appear to be scared. Actually, he smirks at me. "Really? I thought strawberries were pink?" He already pulled off the comforter (which is apparently not too good at smothering people) and twirls a few strands of my hair around two of his fingers.

I blink. "I'm not a strawberry _just _because my hair is pink."

He nods slowly. "You also have a distinctly 'strawberry'-ish vibe."

I sigh. "Ikuto, I am nothing like a stra- Hey! Watch where you're laying!"

As you can tell, Ikuto decided that it would be a good idea to tackle me to the bed despite the fact that he's soaking wet and I am not too happy to have him bursting my 'personal bubble' at this moment.

_Omigawd_, I'm going to kill that boy.

"_Ikuto_," I growl, glaring at him (or at least his head, because he's still kind of on top of me, "Why did you just _tackle_ me onto the bed?"

He smirks. "Admit it, you liked it."

…

"YOU PERVERT! Get out of here before I kick you out myself!"

He grins and leaps out of the balcony doors after opening the sliding doors.

"Amu? Who was that?" I hear my mom asking from downstairs. It seems that they're bored of fawning over Ami at the moment, so they must stick their noses into my business instead.

Yes, I love my family. (However, I do believe it would be much more convenient if they were to _not_ care about my life when it's convenient.

Yes. I don't care if I need to be alone.

"Amu-chan! Was that I boy I heard?" Papa screams from downstairs. As my dad, he is both overprotective, ignorant, and uncaring.

Overprotective of boys, ignorant of my feelings, and uncaring of my social life (or lack thereof).

"No dad!" I sigh, glaring at Ikuto.

"Amu, it is a boy, isn't it?" From the other side of the doorway I hear Ami giggling at my predicament.

"You're making them pay attention to me! Couldn't you have made it a better time?"

She laughs, still on the other side of the door. "Whoops, was I not convenient?"

"No! No you weren't!"

"… too bad."

I growl. _Ikuto, I'm killing you the next time I see you._

I stand up off my drenched bed, walking over to my desk.

I hear Ami yelling to dad outside. "No, dad. It wasn't a boy, she was just talking on the phone."

"Thanks, Ami." I pull out a pen and paper. I know that I've typed the letters before, but now?

Well, I don't really care right now.

So I start to write.

_And through the time the pain shall last_

_The pain shall last, the pain holds fast_

_They say the you forget in time_

_Try saying that to those who've died_

_Or perhaps for those who truly forgot_

_Perhaps to those who really hope not_

_For though time moves on, a few cannot_

_Despite all time, no one forgot_

Dear Tsukiyomi Ikuto,

I got your last letter. I must say, I was impressed.

So angsty! You almost rivaled me.

_Almost_.

I'm an undefeated angster. You should remember that.

Now, I wouldn't say you were shattered. After all, you can still reach can't you? The shattered...

The shattered can't even lift a finger. They can't pull themselves up to work for something, to fight for something. So no, you're not shattered.

Perhaps confused? Or maybe sidetracked? Lonely? Lost? Discombobulated?

No, not shattered. Certainly not shattered.

That and you're kind of full of yourself.

Guess what: you're not all that great. Or amazing. Or hot.

…

Okay, so maybe a little hot (I can't believe I just admitted that. Okay, you're _so_ never finding out who I am), but that's not the point.

The thing I'm trying to tell you is that you're stronger than that. You don't just give up.

Or do you? Are you that pathetic that you'll give up on the only thing you've been able to reach for in forever? Are you that lame?

That not amazing?

Suck it up.

(Oh, wow, I feel like a miniature pep squad! Soon enough I'll be cheering… GO IKUTO GO! Okay, so maybe not, but it's still kind of weird).

Anyway, I do realize that I have to deal with you sending letters to me now. But, you see, the joke's on _you_.

I'm much harder to ignore. It's a specialty I like to call being intriguing… but a few other adjectives come to mind as well.

Like charismatic. In a weird way.

A very weird way.

But seriously? How can I do anything in a normal way?

So, yes. I will deal with your letters before you kill yourself because you're too annoyed with mine.

Good day, sir.

The Broken (Hearted)

_So she plays the saddest tune_

_She plays along, despite the ruins_

_Of a broken happy soul_

_The world forgotten, the broken tolls_

_Forget the world as black as night_

_Forget the girl who couldn't fight_

_For a world she knew was right_

_A world she always knew was right_

_She plays the saddest tune today_

_To remind the world, to stand up and say_

"_This world, this world I leave today"_

_This world that she couldn't save_

**The rest of the letters will be in the next chapter (and yes, it'll be up tomorrow. I'm determined to finish this story before my vacation D:)**

**Because I'm evil and procrastinated longer than usual… I decided to give you guys a treat :D**

**Ten of one-hundred twelve treats that will be featured in the next few chapters, to be exact (I know, I know. "Why did you bother doing this when you could've been updating? D:" Well, the truth is, I don't know ._.) **

**So HA! :D**

**Also, these are meant to be funny (As they are drabbles)… and they shouldn't really make too much sense ._. So, yeah :)**

_One_

We'd just finished practicing the song, and Tadase and Nagihiko were looking at Ikuto and I expectantly.

"Well, you guys going to explain?" Nagihiko has a gentle smile on his face as he begins to interrogate the two of us.

"Umm…" I start, pulling at a stray lock of my hair.

Utau snickers. "No, her mind is too _broken_ for her to explain _anything_."

I glare at the popstar. _Please… let everyone be as dense as I hope…. Please!_

Nagihiko grins, but Tadase just looks mildly interested.

Thank goodness for the dense people of this world. Where would I be without you?

… On second thought, don't answer that. Okay, I'm not _that_ dense, I know at least someone out there is thinking it.

I _would_ still exist, thank you very much.

Kukai sits next to me excitedly. "So, Hinamori," he pokes me, "explain?"

I growl at them. "Why doesn't Ikuto explain?"

Everyone looks over to Ikuto expectantly.

He looks at them, his hands still wrapped tightly around my waist. His grip loosens slightly, making it seem as though his arms were only loosely wrapped around me.

I know he's smirking at all of us. I _know_ it (Why? I don't know; it's just what he does. Deal with it). Anyway, he doesn't say anything for the longest time.

I start to fidget in his grasp, hoping that maybe it wouldn't be so awkward for me if I wasn't locked in his arms right now (Honestly? Anything would be less awkward than this).

My fidgeting gets me nowhere. Ikuto rests his chin on my shoulder before yawning.

No, I don't know why he was yawning. Again, perhaps it's just one of those things that he does (He's always done it, and I've never cared enough to ask why he yawns at random moments in the day. It just never seemed too important).

"Ummm," I whisper, feeling my face heat up, "Could you not do that?"

He smirks. "Do what?" He doesn't move at all, even though I'm quite certain that he knows what I'm talking about.

"You know what I'm talking about!"

Everyone just stares at us.

"Umm, actually," Kukai starts, "he just said he didn't."

"…" I growl, "He was lying!"

_Two_

Ikuto and Tadase were glaring at each other, violins in hand. Right now, they were supposed to be practicing the song.

_Supposed to be_. Obviously they're not. Actually, they're not even touching the hollow instruments right now. Meanwhile, Nagihiko and I were just talking. After all, our parts didn't have anything in common. The only instrument that could play with anyone is first violin and, well, he's not being too productive right now.

"Do they ever do what they're supposed to?" I sigh, reclining on a chair opposite of Nagihiko. We're not as hostile to each other as the two violin partners, but that doesn't mean we're particularly close.

Nagihiko chuckles. "No, they don't. I believe that that's the point."

I look at him. "There's a point?"

"… Well, no."

Of course not.

I sigh, pulling myself off of the chair by grabbing at the arm rests and hefting myself out using only my arms.

"Okay. I know you two like each other and all, but it's time to _stop _acting as a married couple," I say, finally annoyed beyond belief.

Tadase looks shocked, and somewhat appalled. Ikuto, however…

Looks much like he usually does. He's smirking at me, as though thanking me for digging my own grave so that he could simply kick me over the edge and then cover me in dirt before perhaps spitting on my gravestone.

Yes, he's a wonderful person. I know.

"Sorry," he pulls Tadase into an awkward hug. The offended male struggles, kicking randomly, but doesn't succeed in breaking free. "Were you jealous?"

I twitch. "No?"

"Don't deny it," he taunts, walking over to me.

I roll my eyes. "I'm not denying anything, I'm simply_ not_ jealous."

Because, really? Who would be jealous of Tadase?

No one. That's who. Especially not because of a pervert like Ikuto.

"Really?" He leans over, his lips millimeters away from mine.

"Yeah?"

"…"

"Ummm, guys?" Nagihiko calls.

"…"

"We really need to practice."

"… Right."

Ikuto grins at me, as though our awkwardly standing there and staring at each other proved a point.

Which, just to be clear, it didn't.

_Three_

"Hi Ikuto."

"Hey."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Hi…"

"…"

_Four_

Practice had just finished and - you know - since he has to be really cliché, Ikuto decided to walk me home.

And, yes. That is the reason. Seriously? Ikuto is not cliché. Ever. Unless being cliché is the point.

So, yes. He is trying to be cliché.

And, just to be clear, he is succeeding.

It's very annoying.

"So, where do you live?" Ikuto grins at me innocently.

I sigh. _Great, what is he planning?_ "We're walking side by side, you just have to follow me."

He rolls his eyes. "I was just asking so I could write down your address. I mean," he winks at me, "we'll be seeing a lot of each other this month."

I swear I squeal.

His grin instantly turns into a smirk. "Is Amu embarrassed?" He pulls my hand, "Or are you thinking perverted thoughts again?"

"Again?"

"I figured that most of your thoughts were perverted."

I blink. "That's you!"

"Sure," he winks, again. "Now," he pulls on my hand, "let's go."

"… You're going the wrong way."

He sighs. "Because you didn't tell me your address, _Amu_. Now you just have to follow me."

I growl, but no matter how hard I try, I can't get him to go the right way."

_Five_

I'm on the phone, growling at the person on the other end. "_I don't know_ where we are. If I did, we wouldn't be _lost_!"

I can hear Utau, who is on the other line, sigh. _"How do you get lost on the way to your own house?"_

"_Ikuto_ got lost! He was dragging me!" I eye said person suspiciously. Ikuto only walks over to me and grabs my phone.

"Hey Utau," he stands up straight, effectively putting the phone out of my reach.

"Ikuto! Give me back my phone!" I stomp on one of his feet, but he only flinches.

"Yeah, I know where we are."

He's silent for a moment, and I can hear Utau yelling on the other end, but I can't make out any of the words.

"… If she'd tell me her address."

By this time, I'd given up and found a place to sit on the sidewalk.

"Thanks," he rolls his eyes, which probably means that she was no help at all. "I'll keep that in mind. Bye, Utau."

I stand up. "Well, what did she say?"

"We're on our own."

I groan. "_Great_."

"Well, if you'd just tell me your address…" he hints, going closer to me.

Now, by now I probably would have given him my address, had it not been for the fact that that would be admitting that I had made a mistake.

Yeah… no.

"Well, if you hadn't tried leading us to _my _house!"

He takes a step closer, and I step backwards. "You weren't going anywhere."

I glare at him. "Of _course_ I was! I was going _forwards_!"

"And now you're going backwards," he says, "but you're not really going anywhere useful."

I growl. "You're annoying, you know that."

He smirks. "And you're stubborn."

"Ignorant… Arrogant… Perverted…"

"Gullible," he takes another step, "fragile." Step. "Fast." Step.

I match his steps with my own until I hit a brick wall.

"And, apparently, not too observant," he winks, still walking towards me. I can feel him breathing my air now. He's staring at me. "Now… will you tell me your address?"

"… No."

"…"

"Hey, you're the one who called me stubborn. Besides, you're a pervert. I don't tell perverts where I live. They might rape me."

He fakes a gasp, "Then it's probably a bad thing that you know where I live!"

"…"

_Six_

We, of course, were still lost and, as life would have it, haven't made much – any – progress on getting back to my house. Now, perhaps that would be mostly my fault. However, I'm neither going to admit that aloud nor am I going to stop.

"…"

"_Amu—"_

"…"

"Amu-_koi_!"

"…"

"AMU"

"…"

"You know, I can do that, too."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What the h-"

"That's what you get for ignoring the Iktuo Tsukiyomi," he smirks, pulling away from my lips.

"…"

_Seven_

"You know, we're not actually getting anywhere right now, but it's kind of bad that it's getting dark out."

He's right. We've been sitting out here for a while, and the sun is just beginning to set. I can tell by the way that he's looking around suspiciously that Ikuto is less than comfortable right now. He's probably worried to death.

Not like he'll ever admit it, or anything.

I sigh, finally looking up at him. "Sorry, Ikuto."

He looks surprised for a second before looking, you know, like Ikuto. "You know you owe me now, right?"

I groan. I should've known better than to apologize to him. Now it means that I owe him. And, because it's Ikuto and he can't possibly just want me to pay for something, I'm probably going to have to do something humiliating, demeaning, offending, intrusive… "What?" I ask before I could think of more things one favor could do to my life.

"Kiss me."

"Eh?" My eyes widen. "That's it?"

"Well… if you want to do something else…" he winks.

"No… no that's fine."

_Eight_

"My sparrow!" My dad comes running out of the house. By now I was a few hours late, and he was a bit more than hysterical.

"Dad, I'm fine. Go fret over Ami or something," I say, rolling my eyes. It's sad that the only time he happens to want to notice me I'm with a boy.

A perverted boy no less.

"I can't," he whimpers, "she's at a show. With _boys_! And Mama is there, too! Both of them!" He starts to hyperventilate, wringing his hands.

"Ahh, okay." I try to make it seem like Ikuto isn't right behind me. "I'll just go say goodbye to…"

He gasps, cutting me off. "A boy!" He screeches, rushing past me and staring at Ikuto, who only looks mildly amused.

"Actually, most people call me a 'young man'. But, yes. I am male," Ikuto says.

"Amu-chan was with a boy!"

And so Ikuto goes ignored.

"Papa, I just wanted to say goodbye to him. He brought me home."

"Amu-chan was at a boy's house!"

"… He's Utau's brother. Utau was too busy to take me."

"Amu-chan was…"

Ikuto chooses this moment to intervene. "I apologize for anything you might've assumed, but I'm in her quartette group. I'm the first violin, and I just happened to live the closest. Utau is directionally challenged, so my parents don't allow her to get out, I'll be leaving now." He turns to me with a barely concealed wink. "Bye Amu."

And like that Ikuto is gone.

"Amu-chan was with a boy! A boy! My sparrow is leaving th-!"

I believe I snap. "Shut up!"

And, by the way, that wasn't a good idea.

No.

Actually, I'd go so far as to say that that was a very _bad _idea.

My dad screeches. "I'm running away!" Then the door to the nearest bathroom slams closed.

Oh, yes. A bad idea indeed.

_Nine_

"So your dad…"

"Is hiding."

"In the bathroom?"

"…Yes."

"…Why?"

"…That's just what he does."

"… Your family is weird."

"… I know."

_Ten_

Utau and Kukai were in my room when I woke up.

"What are you two doing here?" I screech, sitting up quickly, throwing my covers up and onto Kukai's head.

Utau scoffs. "We're here to work on the project. Why , expecting someone?"

"Why would I be expecting someone?" I screech, pulling away from Utau as though her smile was some sort of killing device (hey… you never know).

Kukai grins. "You must've been expecting someone if you're so mad."

"I wasn't expecting anyone! It's just early in the morning!"

Kukai sighs. "Seven o'clock isn't early in the morning."

"Yes it is!"

Utau looks shocked. "It's seven o'clock?"

Kukai nods.

"… Oh. Maybe she's not expecting someone then."

All of a sudden, another person is in the room, accompanied by the sound of a door slamming somewhere else in the house.

"Yo."

"IKUTO! Why are you in here?"

"…Told you she was expecting someone."


	30. Chapter 30

_You sing a sad and sorrowed song_

_You sing the song, we play along_

_You hear the broken women pray_

_You hear them pray, but walk away_

_What is this world, what is this day?_

_This day when we all walk away?_

_From everything that may ever last?_

_Why is it, with these things we act so rash?_

_Only with these things, do we walk fast?_

Dear Yuiki Yaya,

Do you remember me? I sent you a letter once upon a time.

It wasn't long ago, this 'once upon a time', either. Actually, it was quite near the present, if I do say so myself.

Anyway, I wrote you a letter, and I still have gotten no reply. You do realize that when one sends a letter, you should send one back? It's like a call that gets left on the answering machine, or a present. You give at least some form of communication in return.

Or, perhaps, are you content with just letting me be? I'm not content with letting me be. Actually, I've lived my whole life with the intention of making my life as difficult as possible.

So, yes. I'm off to make my life as difficult as possible, and you shall help me!

You like helping people, right? Well, yes, you do. I know, and you want to know why?

_Cause I'm a freaky stalker with no life or particular goal in life that doesn't include making myself miserable_.

Oh, yes. I feel very accomplished. In fact, I _am _accomplished! I've accomplished everything I've ever dreamed of!

…

But enough about me, let's talk about you. You, who helps people and asks for nothing in return.

Why is it that you, who should have the easiest time finding out who I am, haven't bothered to try and find out? It's easy enough, because I _do _still drop off your lunch. You just have to wait there between periods, because I go there the same exact time everyday!

Okay, now I'm just making it really _easy_ for you. I mean, this isn't even hard! In fact, I'll give you a _fool-proof_ plan to find me.

… Yes, I do realize that you're not stupid, _I'm_ not so stupid to not realize that. It's just sometimes people need a little push.

Okay, anyway, on to the fool-proof plan (Yes, it _is_ fool-proof, and don't you ever think differently):

On day one, wait at your locker before school starts

On day two, wait at your locker after first period

Repeat step two at every passing period before lunch (on different days, of course)

Be amazed as you find out my identity!

See? I'm not even _trying_ now. You're bound to figure it out!

A word of advice, though? Don't tell anyone who I am after I tell, you, kay? I mean, I practically _am_ telling you, so just don't. Got that?

Follow that one rule and you may enjoy the knowledge of my identity for the rest of your life!

But seriously, you should at least try. I kind of want to talk to you. I suppose we have more in common than I originally thought.

The Broken (Hopes)

"_To the death!" They screech and scream_

_They pull their lives out at the seams_

_For us the noble, us the strong_

_We'll all be gone before too long_

_And all those people who depend on our lives_

_They too, in the end, will finally die_

Dear Sanjo Kairi,

Here's to the smart person who has yet to find out my identity.

_Congratulations_.

Now you're not only a freak, but also a lie! (Don't worry, you're in good company)

Not to insult you, or anything. _Never_ to insult you. I mean, how could I insult you if you're so perfect!

You know, if you look past all of the imperfections (Wait, are you saying that that makes you imperfect? Who knew). I mean, many people _do_ manage to ignore your gaping problems, but for those who can't, perhaps you should make a list or a chart.

Maybe a pie chart that shows the percentages of which imperfections and/or perfections impact your life out of 100 percent. As in, let's say you had glasses, that would be .01%, while being something like class president would be around 25% impact.

Here, I'll even get you started! (You're welcome). Okay, so here goes nothing:

You're somewhat vain, although smart. However, this intelligence makes you a tad egotistical and antisocial. You lie a lot, but still maintain a social life. You're an outlier. You're kind of ordinary. You have a sister. You're related to a teacher. Your sister is the teacher. Your sister teaches one of your classes. You're a math tutor. You-

On second thought, I think that's good.

Anyway, now that I've gotten that out of the way for you, I shall nitpick! Because, after all, who doesn't like to nitpick?

No one. Exactly.

And so I shall nitpick!

… About what, though? Actually, I had no intention of actually getting this far in the letter.

_Darn_.

Oh well, I shall nitpick anyway!

Anyway, are you just not curious? Do you just not want to know who I am? Are you only curious to see what others see as issues, but when it's you…

It doesn't matter? It makes no difference?

You're important too, genius. Yes, you are. Actually, you're so important, you're not unimportant. Without you the school might fall apart.

And, for the record, that's bad. Not good. Unsatisfactory.

Right, falling apart at the seams tends to be a bad thing.

So take care of yourself, will you?

(And try and figure out who I am, too. Please)

The Broken (Secret)

_Noble blood and noble times_

_Fool the heart, leave fools behind_

_Allow the world to misperceive_

_A world in which all wait to leave_

_Perfection's a lie and life's a game_

_A game we play everyday_

_So play your part and play it well_

_You know you're not perfect, but you'll never tell_

Dear Hotori Tadase,

And I'm back to wasting my time on your highness. _Wonderful_. I've truly done nothing to raise my worth as a human being these last few days.

I know, amazing.

Anyway, your royal lameness, I'd like to tell you that I still don't care whatever you've done in these past few days.

So you still don't know who I am? I told you that you didn't know anything about me.

Also, I could break you with words if I wanted to. Still.

As in you're screwed if you don't find out who I am. Actually, you're probably screwed if you _don't_ find out who I am.

But, you know, it's good to accomplish something in your life. Even if it's something involving someone as insignificant as me. (But, if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty amazing at being insignificant).

You know, I don't think any of your royal subjects know me all too well, anyway. They might, but I tend to not speak to people who are mindless freaks, but I may make some exceptions (on accident, of course).

So, if you find anything about me (through mindless freaks or by one mindless freak [namely you]), let me know.

Until then, so long!

The Broken (Tool)

**Wow, that's the first only letters chapter in a while o-o**

**Anyway, if you want letters, I'm still open for more. ._.**

**And now for drabbles!**

**Also, I kind of need help ._. If anyone wants to talk about random awkward moments, I need help!**

**:) After all, 112 is a bit much –I should've picked a lower random number D:-**

**Okay, so on with the awkward moments!**

_Eleven_

"So, why was Ikuto here earlier?" Utau is sitting on the edge of my bed, watching me make my bed.

"I don't _know_. I was sleeping until you came and woke me up," I point out, straightening out my sheets with a little too much vigor.

_Now, if this was Utau, she'd be flatter than a pancake!_

I shake my head to get rid of that thought. No matter how badly I want to harm her right now I shouldn't start imagining ways to kill her. Because, you know, that's not a good idea.

People get locked up for that sort of thing.

Utau rolls her eyes, oblivious to my thoughts. "Well, you could've made plans."

I throw a pillow onto the bed a little too hard, making air rush out in a great 'plop'. "But we _didn't_ make plans. He just showed up her." I eye her angrily, "Kind of like you."

"Your parents didn't mind me being here."

"They probably didn't notice! My dad was probably asleep and my mom likes it when people come over!"

"… Sure."

"My dad would've screamed something because Kukai is here," I point out.

"Okay, but how did Ikuto get in here?"

"Because her mom likes me," a voice says.

"Ikuto! Get out of here!"

He walks away, although I can already tell that something bad is going to happen soon.

"… I'm guessing you're going to try and say that you didn't plan that either."

"I _didn't_!"

"Riiight."

_Twelve (In which Ikuto is merely a topic of discussion)_

Kukai was with us again soon after that.

"So, you and Ikuto?" He not-so-subtly brings up a subject that I'm all too familiar with at this moment.

"_Yes_. Me and Ikuto, _again_."

"… That's nice," Utau cuts in, annoyed, "but we should really get back to our project." She looks at me, still _very_ annoyed. "So, what research have you gathered."

I sigh, remembering the subject clearly. "Most amnesia," I drone, "is irreversible if encountered by physical means. There are triggers in very rare cases, but usually this is not the case."

She nods. "Alright, then. I have some research that adds up to that."

Kukai, however, doesn't speak.

For once.

Now, this would be nice, except this brings about a wonderful round of 'awkward silence'. (And no, this isn't the awkward part)

"Didn't Ikuto have that type of amnesia?"

I sigh and nod, Utau staring at us.

"Yeah," she says, "you should know that."

He rolls his eyes. "The point is that Ikuto probably won't remember."

…

Well, that kind of kills any possible hope I might've gathered. Thanks for killing off my good mood.

"Right.

"…

"Well, that's kind of bad."

_Thirteen_

In the middle of me trying to shoo everyone out of my house, the phone rings. I leap to the phone and answer while still pushing Kukai and Utau out of the door.

"Hinamori Residence," I announce into the speaker.

"Hey. Is this Amu?"

"Speaking," I sigh, "Hey Ikuto."

"Hi. Anyway, are you free right now?"

"Ummm," I sneak a glance at the rest of my family. They're only sitting around a table, but my mom sees and winks at me. "Yeah, sure I am. We need to practice?"

"Yeah. Can you come over?"

"…Yeah."

"Alright. And Amu?"

"Mmmhmmm?"

"… See you when you get here."

Is it only me, or does it seem like that's not what he wanted to say?

_Fourteen_

I got over to Ikuto's house and, apparently, I'm also the last one there. The rest of our group of misfits is huddled around a coffee table almost as though it was some sort of campfire that gave them energy to last another day.

…

Okay, that sounded weird even to me.

"Umm, hello?" I enter the room, looking at each of the other instrument players suspiciously. I get this strange feeling that they were talking about me.

The only one who looks at me is Nagihiko, and he doesn't say anything. Luckily, though, he lets me relax, if only slightly.

The other two don't even blink as I sit down. Tadase is glaring at Ikuto, as though every single problem known to man (as well as many that aren't and a few that haven't even began to exist yet) was his fault.

Ikuto seems to be daring Tadase to start something, namely a fight, without actually saying anything.

Nagihiko looks somewhat out of place, though I doubt that he looks any more out of place than me.

"Did I miss something?"

"No," Nagihiko sighs, "At least, nothing that I didn't miss."

_Fifteen_

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"STOP STARING AT EACH OTHER AND PRACTICE!"

"… Okay."

And yet Tadase and Ikuto continue to glare.

Why? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

However, if they continue, their eyes will be gouged out with a spork.

It's very annoying to watch them.


	31. Chapter 31

"Amu! Amu! Amu!"

I somewhat awkwardly swat in the direction of my lovely sister's voice.

She giggles before crashing into the floor. "You know, you should really clean up your room," she says.

"I know." I rub my eyes as I sit up to look for my sister. Sadly, though, I find her nowhere.

"I'm under the covers!" She screams before throwing off the offending comforter and sheets.

_I was not looking forward to that this morning_. "Hi Ami." I roll my eyes at her before jumping off of the bed and to the floor. "Now get out so that I can get ready for school."

She grins. "_Alright!_" She turns out of the door, "By the way, dad says that you better not have Ikuto here again – or any boy for that matter – and to remember that today's the last day of school before the five day weekend!"

I nod. "Alright. Now, get out!" I push her out of the room before slamming the door shut behind her.

I'm sure I've already spoken of the useless teacher's days, but I have to mention them again. The Thursday and Friday of this week happen to be days that the teachers use to compile teaching plans and get out of actually doing their job. After all, they didn't _just_ get off of a three month break in which they could've been working on plans for the whole year.

No, they _definitely_ didn't have _that_.

So, yes. We get two days off (and about three extra days of no homework). We get two days off that I'm going to spend stuck with people from school working on a science project that lasts too long and an orchestra piece that's close to being somewhat decent.

Meanwhile, though, the orchestra piece doesn't sound too wonderful. It only sounds like a bunch of people reading sheet music. It doesn't sound like we're actually getting lost in the music.

Okay, so it doesn't sound like Nagihiko and Tadase are getting lost in the music, but that's about as bad, seeing as it separates the music and makes it seem as though the parts don't belong together. It's kind of like mixing jazz and techno.

It just doesn't work.

"Amu, are you ready yet?" Ami, still outside my room, asks.

"Just about!" I hurriedly throw my bed together before throwing on the school uniform, adjusting as needed. I throw open the door, ignoring my sister as she groans.

"You hit me!"

Well, technically the door hit her. "I'm sorry," I lie. I mean, how could I be sorry?

She was staring at my bedroom door while I was changing. It's kind of like staring at the opening to a bathroom.

_You just don't do that_.

"Whatever," she sighs before rushing downstairs. "Mom made French toast!"

I follow her. "I heard there was toast." I look at the table to see a still-smoking pile of the tasty cooked bread surrounded by the typical breakfast condiments.

My mom grins. "You heard right! We're going to have a family breakfast today, so you better prepare yourself!"

"Alright, I'll try," I say. After all, our last family meal was a long time ago (how long ago is never?), so I have to be ready to sit down with my family for a few minutes. "You sure I won't be late?"

She grins. "Of course not. After all, we woke you up early _just_ so that you couldn't possibly be late."

_Early?_ I look at the digital clock that I tend to simply ignore because about the same time – a good ten or, on a good day, fifteen minutes before the warning bell rings at school – shows up every single time I've ever looked. Today, however, the clock taunts me.

_Who gets up at 5:30 to eat breakfast?_ I stare at the clock, waiting for the numbers to change.

But no, it's 5:30.

"We do, actually," Mom replies to the question that I didn't even know that I'd voiced. "Every morning. Papa should be down soon, too."

I stare at her. "You must be crazy," I announce, falling onto a nearby chair.

Or trying to fall onto a nearby chair. However, because I'm so very graceful and amazing, I fall right onto my butt on the tile flooring of the kitchen.

Ami snickers. "You missed," she points to a chair that she'd pulled out for me to sit in when we'd first walked into the room.

I growl at her. "I noticed."

Because, well, I did notice. Actually, I don't know how I could've managed to miss that. _I'm kind of not in a chair right now_.

Mom laughs light-heartedly. "Calm down and Amu?" I look up at her expectantly. She grins back at me, "Amu, you should really sit in chairs."

I flush. "I _know_ that I should sit in chairs. It was an accident!"

She winks at me. "Sure," she drawls. "Anyway, what's with this boy who seems to come around lately?" She wiggles her eyebrows, like I've seen so many of the other girls (that I tend not to involve myself with for this very reason) around school.

Ami grins. "I think he's her _boyfriend_!"

"Boyfriend?" She blinks then turns to me. "You haven't had a boyfriend since… well, never that I know of. The closest was your friend – the one in the accident – Ikuto?"

"Yeah… About that…" I remember that I wasn't really supposed to date at the time, and so Ikuto and I had been determined to hide our new relationship from my parents. Lucky for us, Ikuto had always been too touchy-feely, so it was really easy for us.

Ami squeals. "Is that _the_ Ikuto? Or," she gasps, "Were you going out with him, then? You and Ikuto?" Ami squeals again (for good measure). Of course, she'd been a bit young at the time, so I'm not too sure that she remembers Ikuto from then at all.

Honestly, I can't believe that neither of them had connected the dots yet. After all, you can't really miss the whole 'Hey, they both have blue hair!' thing. I mean, it's kind of obvious.

"Yeah," I shrug, pulling myself off the floor and onto a chair.

"Yeah to whi-" Ami starts to ask, but is conveniently cut off by my dearest dad.

"Were you talking about boys? Does my Amu-chan have a boyfriend! No!" Dad starts to hyperventilate.

"Ummm," I start, looking to Mom and Ami for help, but neither of them seem too keen to fix the problem that they started. "Right," I sigh, glaring at the two who got me into this. "You remember Ikuto?"

He stops freaking out. "Yes, what a sweet friend you had – even if he was a boy. He was quite nice. Too bad about the accident."

"Yeah," I drawl.

You know what I just noticed? Everyone tiptoes the subject of the accident.

What accident? _The _accident.

… Exactly.

"Well, I found him again, even though he doesn't remember anything. He wants to, though, so we're going to try again."

"Try again?"

"Did I say try again? I meant… ummm… eat… pie? Again?"

And no one believes me.

Ami grins. "So you _did_ use to date! That's awesome! I mean, I've heard of him and, I mean, nobody can be that good of friends and never date! I mean, well, you know. You _had_ to have been dating!"

And she continues on like that for the rest of the meal.

Mom, however, is grinning at us in a knowing fashion and Dad…

Is nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Mama?" I cut Ami off.

"Yes?"

"…Where's Papa?"

She doesn't even blink, "On the floor."

"… Right." I sigh, picking up my plate and making a bee-line to the door so that I don't manage to harm my father in some strange way by being involved with a boy. "I'm going to leave now. Bye. See you!"

None of them are fazed. "Well, okay! Bye!"

And I'm off to school.

"Hey _Amu-koi_."

"IKUTO!"

**Now, I was going to make this longer, but I forgot to. ._. So soon :3 BUT THAT WAS TOO SHORT D: (But now I'm getting kicked off of the computer so I can't make it longer, and I really don't want to get banned again ._.)**

**OMiGOSH! Harry Potter 7 Part 2 comes out tomorrow! I'm watching it! Anyone else going to watch it? I'll prolly have some random commentary on it next time –tomorrow-, so be ready for that!**

**AND I RAN OUT OF TIME FOR AWKWARD MOMENTS D: I'll have 20 in the next update :D**

**And now to letter(s)!**

Dear Nanami Aqua (For Sailor Ice Cosmos),

You know, if you keep this up, you're going to end up getting kind of hurt.

Just thought you should know.

Despite all innocence you have, it's quite possible for you to get very hurt. Even with your friend there by your side, you can get hurt.

You're alone. All alone. We all are. There's always at least one moment when you've got no one but yourself to rely on. When you've only got what you learned on your own to push you on.

Your friend, she may have the best of intentions, but you can't hide behind her. I mean, okay, I get it. You're six, you've got your reasons.

But we've all got reasons. The point is, you rise to the occasion sometimes. There are scarier things than people and few things scarier than crowds of people that you don't talk to. The point is, it doesn't get harder, nor does it get easier.

Of course, you're kind of digging yourself a hole. I mean, you have a _glass_ doll.

_Glass_ doll.

News flash: Glass shatters. Shattered glass cuts. You're opening yourself up when all you've ever been doing is closing yourself down.

Maybe you know that. Maybe that's why you close yourself. Because you know that no matter what, you get hurt? Is that why?

Probably. I guess you know that more than anyone, even if you are only six.

We are all just hurting inside. But, now I'll do you a favor. I'll do something that people probably should've done a while ago.

To you… I have something to ask.

_What's wrong?_

The Broken (And still falling apart)


	32. Chapter 32

"Yo, Amu." He smiles at me, pulling me into a tight hug.

Ami peers into the doorway. "Oh! Hey! So you're Ikuto!" She grins up at him.

Mama drags Papa over, too. "Take care of her, okay. We don't want her getting pregnant until she's out of high school.

He's just grinning at them.

And I'm just flushed red.

And it sucks.

It really, really sucks.

But eventually they shut the door, and I'm stuck with Ikuto. Again.

Alone.

_Again_.

Only this time, it doesn't suck so much as in it's awkward, but in that he's pretty much the most perverted human being to ever see the face of the earth.

And he knows it.

And is always ready to showcase it.

And it sucks to be around him sometimes.

And he should really go die.

_Die Ikuto die!_

And I probably shouldn't say _any_ of that out loud. Like, ever.

So, yeah. This never happened. And I'm not crazy. At all.

And, you know, this think right here? It doesn't exist.

Nope.

Nothing happened.

Like, ever.

If anyone asks, these last few seconds that you spent reading this? A complete blank.

_Never mention this again_.

Ikuto's just staring at me as I rant to myself. He doesn't even stop to ask me what's wrong but, as soon as I start blinking (because, apparently, I wasn't blinking) he smirks at me, chuckling.

Cause, you know, he's a jerk like that.

"What are you laughing at?" I screech at him, waving my hands and smacking him multiple times.

He just grins, shaking his head.

This happens for the whole month afterward. He's just like he always is, and I'm just as I always was, and I don't know, everything just seems amazing. My friends – yeah, I have those now. It's kind of amazing, how I went from nothing to everything but, hey, here it is, and here I am, and I guess the world just kind of likes to laugh and watch us suffer, but it still has a conscience, and I'm rambling so I'll stop. But, the point is, it's like a ditch: like a cliff, but you can still clime out at the other side. And I'm quite happy. Anyway, where was I?

Right. Well, my friends, Ikuto (and it's unimaginably weird and amazing to say his name in a completely different category. Like, _hello_, he's not _just_ a friend. Even if he's perverted. And annoying. And rude. And all, he's still utterly amazing. And I feel like a fangirl, so I'll just shut up now), and I just sort of hang out and work on our school stuff.

Like amnesia? Apparently, there's multiple types. I mean, who knew?

And that orchestra piece? Yeah, it still sucks. And we know it. And Tadase's all mad because it sucks. And Nagihiko got so much better. And Ikuto and I pretty much haven't practiced at all, which, you know, just made Tadase happy. (And, in case you didn't catch that, that was sarcasm).

And Ikuto? I don't know, he's still being Ikuto, and that means that I have no idea whether or not he's remembered anything and, so yeah, I kind of hope that he did. Because if he didn't that would totally suck.

But the point is, life is life and I've got to suck it up because, hey, apparently life doesn't care.

And yeah, he's the one who told me that and, okay, I did kind of have it coming. And I so totally deserved it.

On the other hand, he _also_ deserved the lack of kisses for a week and the bruise on his stomach, and the kick somewhere else.

And do I really have to say _where_ that kick is?

No?

Good. I wasn't planning on explaining anyway because, hey, if you can't guess where a girl would kick a guy, then you're obviously too innocent to know.

And if you're reading this and you don't think you're naïve and you're kind of annoyed that I'd said you were, I'm sorry.

But I'm so right. I mean, come on!

Anyway, the point is…

Actually, I forgot what the point is. But I'll get back to you on that as soon as I remember. And that's a promise. And, you know, I keep promises.

Cause I'm amazing.

And stuff.

Anyway, during that month, we've had countless more moments of awkward silence, as well as our second first date.

And yes, that is as weird to say as it seems.

Anyway, in addition to that date, we had many other dates after that, although they're not too important.

At least, not as important as the first date (and yeah, I'm getting there, but I'll get there in a bit. Right now I'm busy explaining things that I'd skipped in that month). Some of them we're interesting and notable, as, well, everything is. However, some things are meant to be just kept between him and me.

And yes, that means that I will not share this with whoever wants to know. Ever. Because to be between him and me is not synonymous to being between him, me, and fifteen million and a half random strangers over the internet, just so you know.

So that's certainly not going to be in anyone else's minds. Ever.

But wait, I've already said that, haven't I?

Right. In addition to Ikuto, I must talk about my friends.

And yes, that still is weird to say. _My friends_. With the possessive noun in front of it. Like, hey!  
They're mine!  
And yeah, that means I have friends.

And it's amazing.

And you should be jealous.

(But you're probably not)

Right, anyway, we've bonded over math, science, and orchestra. Because, you know, life is totally cliché like that, and so people you don't know at all become your _'bff'_s because, hey, that's what life is.

Yeah, life can be really retarded sometimes.

Right, back on topic. Our second first date was three weeks ago because, yeah, we're total losers who didn't go on a single date for the entire first week that we'd officially been going out. And we're amazing like that. And you know you're jealous.

Anyway, it wasn't anything like I'd expected.

_I sigh, pulling at my hair in annoyance. I'd just finished the last piece of math homework that I'd gotten since the five day weekend, and I was truly bored. Of course, I'd been bored in the first place, causing me to actually be productive and do my homework, but now?_

_ Yeah, now I'm contemplating suicide. You know, for the fun of it._

_ Thankfully, though, the doorbell rings and snaps me out of my thoughts of suicide._

_ "I'll get it!" I yell, racing down the stairs and towards the front door. Right now, everyone is home. Mama and Papa are looking through photo albums and crying about how much their 'little sparrows' (okay, so that was just Papa) had grown up. Ami was upstairs, somewhere attempting to hide from the insanity of our parents. I open the door, ready to tell whoever is knocking to bug off and bother someone else, when I'm suddenly attacked._

_ By a guy. Who has blue hair. And a strange need to kiss me on the lips._

_ Yeah, he should be glad that Papa wasn't paying attention._

_ "What are you doing here, Ikuto?" I'm not particularly mad right now, as I'm open to any possible suggestions to or distractions from the train wreck that is my family._

_ "Oh my gosh! She's so cute as a star!"_

_ Ikuto, who was about to answer, peeks inside of the house in an effort to see what kind of craziness is going inside and, perhaps, in an attempt to see the accursed picture._

_ "Amu-chan! You should see the picture! You were so _cute!_"_

_ And, yeah, his curiosity increases ten-fold, and he's kind of peering inside of the doorway now, craning his neck and looking wildly throughout the house in an effort to see._

_ I push him so that I can step outside and join him before slamming the door shut behind me. "_Ikuto_," I growl, "what are you doing here?"_

_ He shrugs._

_ I twitch, slapping his shoulder, "Don't come if you don't have a reason to!"_

_ He pouts, "Are you saying that you don't want me here?"_

_ Well, yes. That's exactly what I'm saying._

_ "No," I say, "of course not." Obviously I'm lying, and he must know, because he rolls his eyes. Though, after that, he only chuckles and rolls his eyes at me._

_ "Good, 'cause I'm going to take you out."_

_ I look at him, suspicious, because it's Ikuto and, okay, this is _so_ not an Ikuto-like thing to do. "Okay, what's up?"_

_ He pouts. "What, I can't just want to take my girlfriend on her first date?"_

_ I roll my eyes at the face he has before grinning at him. "No."_

_ "That sucks, 'cause that was my plan for today." He taps his finger to his chin thoughtfully before pulling me by the arm and yelling that he'd have me back by midnight._

_ And yeah, my family heard through the closed door. I can tell because my dad is now screaming, my mom is squealing, and Ami is laughing. Loudly._

_ Very very loudly._

_ I turn to look at Ikuto as he finally stops pulling at my arm. "So, where are we going, cause apparently I'm on a date with you now."_

_ He grins. "That's a secret." He then walks to a car before unlocking it and climbing in, motioning for me to follow._

_ I do, easily buckling myself in. "This better be your car, Ikuto."_

_ He fakes a gasp. "Oh shoot. Are you going to dump me if you find out that it isn't?"_

_ I glare at him, ignoring the way he's making fun of me. "No, I'd kill you if I found out that it wasn't. But that shouldn't be a problem, should it, Ikuto?"_

_ He laughs. "No."_

_ We ride the rest of the way to who-knows-where in complete silence. He keeps glancing at me, as though to assess my reaction to the date so far, which consists of him kidnapping me and then dragging me into a car._

_ I don't know why he's so nervous. He's yet to do anything._

_ "You know, you should keep your eyes on the road, not on me," I tease lightly, smiling at him before looking at the road, attempting to find something – anything – that I could find to hint at where we are headed._

_ No. Nothing._

_ "You know," he copies the way I started talking, "you won't find anything. You've never been here before."_

_ I raise an eyebrow. "Now, how do you know that, you stalker?"_

_ He grins, "How did you know."_

_ I roll my eyes. "I don't know, maybe it was the way that you keep sneaking onto my balcony like a pro."_

_ He doesn't answer me. "Hey, we're here."_

_ And here we are. In front of us is a gorgeous beach. It's slightly busy, but most of the people funnel into an amusement park nearby._

_ "I know a way in," he says, pulling on my arm again, although this time I walk with him willingly._

_ "Really? Would this way be legal?"_

_ He grins. "It doesn't really matter. I come here all the time, and nobody cares."_

_ I take that as a no, but I follow him anyway._

_ When we're inside, it seems like a different world. We can still hear and smell the ocean, but we can't see it. The ground is grass and concrete, sturdy land for building on._

_ "So, what do you want to ride first?" Ikuto asks me, standing next to me nervously. It takes me a while to remember that, for him, this is the first date._

_ This is the date where I figure out whether or not I want to stick with him._

_ I grin at him. "Let's go on the Ferris wheel!"_

_ And so we go, and we ride all the way to the top before the ride stops. "Why don't we go on the roller coaster next? Or the haunted house?" Ikuto grins at me, making it obvious that he's teasing._

_ "Or you could just bring me home," I tease back, staring out at the rest of the amusement park from the Ferris wheel._

_ He pouts, pulling me into his arms from his seat next to me. "You don't really mean that," he says._

_ I laugh. "No, no I don't, do I?"_

_ We sit in silence as the wheel starts to move again._

_ He eyes me nervously. "So how'd I do. You know, compared to," he pauses, searching for the right words, "compared to me."_

_ I grin, "Eh, I've seen better."_

_ He glares, knowing that I'm just joking._

_ I think._

_ I hope._

_ Cause, you know, if he didn't, that would suck._

_ Like, big time._

_ "You know I'm joking, right?"_

_ He laughs. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."_

So yeah, it wasn't quite like I'd expected, but it was still pretty good. Anyway, I'm all ready for class today, and I'm so nervous that I'm already quaking at the front door, waiting for Ikuto to come and pick me up like he has been for the past month.

"Today's the day," I whisper to myself, pulling at my clothes. Today's the one month anniversary from when we'd started to 'try again' and, as a result, the day I find out whether or not he'd remembered anything.

Had he? It's very possible.

Okay, so not very possible. I know from science class that things like that rarely ever happen, that those with amnesia tend to never regain their memory, trigger or not.

And, from math class, I know that that possibility is very slim.

From English class, I know that that sucks. Like, big time.

And it does. It does suck.

Ami stares at me, watching as I shift my weight from one foot to the other, nervously staring at the doorway as I wait for Ikuto. "You know, it's all going to be okay."

I stare at her. She's supposed to be my younger sister. My pretty, selfish, self-absorbed, younger sister.

"What do you mean?" I sigh, "Nothing's ever alright."

She smiles softly. "You'll see. Everything'll work out. Promise."

When the doorbell rings, she grins and races off, mouthing good luck to me as she does so. With a deep breath, I open the door.

"Hey Amu." Ikuto looks nervous, too. He's got his hands in his pockets, like he does all the time in school, a sure-fire way to tell that he's uncomfortable, bored, or really nervous.

I bet it's the last of the three.

"Hey, Ikuto," I greet him, pulling my backpack over my shoulder. "You ready to go?"

He nods, pulling me with him and to his car.

He drives in silence. And, yeah, it's awkward, but I kind of don't care right now. Earlier, we'd agreed that we'd wait until the end of the day to find out what had happened. And yeah, it's killing me. But it's perfect, because it's killing me and, you know, otherwise I'd be doomed.

"See you later," he says. He smirks, although it lacks his usual fervor, and waves at me before walking to his first class.

Speaking of classes, my first one is a blur. Today I don't go to soccer, so I just sit through social studies with Rima. The next one, too, is boring. And, okay, they're all boring. Even orchestra, and science. And math.

Okay, so math is always boring.

And, by the end, I'm pretty much suffering because, yeah, this is horrible. In language arts, all of my friends in our little row stare between the two of us nervously, waiting to see if we'd just crack and give in.

"And relationships between characters," the teacher says, "are the most important. After all, it is because of these that we are able to connect with any character in a book or movie."

She's talking about relationships and bonds and, yeah, it's kind of strangely appropriate, and I kind of wish that it wasn't, cause it's not making my quaking legs stop shaking, or making my heart beat any slower. Instead, it's pretty much flooding my mind with thoughts of what had happened during the month.

Too soon, though, that class, too, is over, and I'm left standing with Ikuto and everyone else at the front of the school. Everyone stares between the two of us, wondering what would happen.

"Amu," Ikuto sighs, "No matter what I say, promise nothing will change."

I stare at him, "You know I can't promise something like that."

Cause, yeah, he looks scared and all, but I am too. If he remembered something, anything, then he's closer to being the same Ikuto as before.

And if he hasn't?

Yeah, if he hasn't…

I don't know.

"Well…" Ikuto stares at me, looking strangely lost for such a boy who always knows what he wants to do. "You know…"

Utau groans, staring between us. Beside her, Kukai laughs at Ikuto's stuttering because, well, he's Ikuto and, if you know Ikuto, then you know he doesn't stutter.

Ever.

"Just tell her already!"

Ikuto glares at her.

I stare at her.

And Yaya just sighs. "This isn't too interesting. Yaya thinks that Ikuto should just tell Amu-chi that he didn't remember anything."

I don't know. I probably shouldn't be so choked up at that, or shocked. Or anything like that, but I am, and I can't breathe, and it sucks, because I kind of need to.

And Ikuto is staring at me. And he's kind of Ikuto-like, only he seems a lot more awkward than he ever has been. "Well?"

I choke, and stare at him. "Well what?" I manage.

"What happens now?"

I shake my head. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

He suddenly scoffs. "Now, that's just great. You're all choked up cause I'm not your ex-boyfriend."

I glare at him. "It's not like that!" I can breathe again, although now it's only angry breaths. Because this sucks. And Ikuto is so stupid sometimes.

"Really? Then why are you so messed up about this?"

I can't answer that.

"Cause you don't love me. You don't even _like_ me, you like who I used to be!"

I glare at him. "That's _not_ true!"

"Really? Cause I'm quite sure that it is."

I sigh, throwing my hands up in the air. "Really? And you're just absolutely amazing at this," I say.

"Excuse me? I never claimed to be amazing at this, Amu. I just said I was trying. Apparently more than _you_ have ever done in _this_ relationship. And yeah, that's what this is."

"I _know_ what this is. And obviously you weren't trying hard enough. You didn't even know I was sending you letters!"

"Oh great, you've been stalking me with letters. Now that's just fan-freaking-tastic!"

I glare at him. "Really? You didn't seem to be too freaked out about my 'stalking' you when you _replied_ to the freaking letters!"

Yaya gasps, "Amu-chi wrote letters?"

Needless to say I ignore her.

"Oh great, you have enough self-pity to practically _drown_ yourself in it. That's just _wonderful_."

I stare at him. Because yeah, I'm not exactly the best at this. But this sucks. And I'm sorry. Because yeah, I suck, too. And I'm stupid sometimes.

Like really.

Freaking.

Stupid.

But so is he.

And we're pretty much the stupidest people ever.

And that was a short and sad argument.

And I'm crying.

And I'm sorry. So, so sorry.

And he stops yelling and glaring at me for long enough to take note of my tears.

And he holds me.

And it's amazing.

And he says he's sorry, and it's amazing, cause yeah, I'm sorry too. And so we're both pretty stupid, but at least we get it right in the end.

And our friends think we're kind of crazy. But it's all okay because we're the same kind of crazy. And that's called love.

And it's amazing. And horrifying. And I think it's trying to kill me, but I wouldn't stop it for the world.

And yeah, I don't even scream when he bites my ear. Or when he bites my neck. Or when he blows in my ear.

But I smile when he says he loves me because, yeah, it's amazing. And yeah, I say it back.

And he tells me that I'll never be so broken again. Because, after all, we've been through this twice, and it better work this time.

And I believe him because I don't really have any reason not to.

And it feels good, too. It feels good not to be so broken.

_Sixteen_

At this point, I don't think a spork would do.

Maybe a straw or a needle. Something more painful than a spork.

These two are really starting to annoy me. Like, _really_ annoy me. To death.

Not my death, though. Their death.

Yes, it _is_ that bad. Murder is probably the least illegal thing I'm thinking about right now. Honestly.

"Thinking of me, Amu-_koi_?"

I look up to see Ikuto staring at me with a smirk.

"No."

"…"

_Seventeen_

_And so, Ikuto and Tadase are eaten by zombies, before the whole world returns to living peacefully_.

I stare at the paper I'd just written for English. I think I did a good enough job, after all. Of course, it didn't say 'Ikuto' or 'Tadase', but that's about what I'd had to resort to do in order to retain my sanity for even a few moments.

So, yes, they happen to be characters in a story I'd written about people being eaten by zombies. And no, they don't know about it.

But hey, what they don't know can't hurt them, right?

"Hey Amu," Ikuto casually walks into my room, as though he'd been doing so all his life. "What are you looking at?"

He attempts to peak at the papers in my hands, but I merely hide them from his view. "_Nothing," _I hiss at him, hoping that he'd just drop the subject.

"… Okay, if you say so."

I sigh, thankful that he dropped the subject.

But, you know, he's Ikuto, and he _can't just_ drop a subject like that. No, he has to be… himself.

He leans down and whispers into my ear, "But kids like you shouldn't be writing things like _that_, Amu-koi."

I have to admit, I did scream.

_Eighteen_

"You're a freak, you know that?"

"…Tadase's more of one."

"…Touché."

"I knew you'd see it my way, Amu."

_Nineteen_

_Die. Die. Die. Curl up in a corner and die!_

"… What is Amu doing with that spork?"

"I don't know, Rima."

"I do, though, Nagihiko. She was ma-"

_Die!_

_Twenty_

"So what you were really doing with that spork?"

I look up to see Ikuto smirking at me, and staring at the spork still in my hands.

"_Nothing_."

He grins. "See? I _knew_ you were mastu-"

"IKUTO!"

"Amu-chi was what?"

I sigh. "_Nothing_ Yaya."

_Twenty-one_

_ Chomp_.

"Eh! Stop biting me, pervert!"

"_Om nom nom_."

"EEP! YAYA SAW IKUTO-CHI EATING AMU! DON'T EAT AMU-CHI!"

_Twenty-two_

"Never do that again." I glare at the very happy Ikuto standing in front of me.

"Do what?" He tries to look innocent and fails miserably.

"Eat me."

He pouts, "Why?"

I glare at him. "Really? You _really_ just asked that question?"

He grins. "Yeah. I mean, you're tasty, so I need a reason."

Yaya faints.

_Twenty-three_

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Awkward silence."

_Twenty-four_

"So… When are you going to tell him?"

I look up to see the class president staring at me expectantly.

He pushes up his glasses, making them catch the sunlight, "Tell him that you sent the letters."

_Eh what?_ I stare up at him. After all, why hadn't he said anything earlier? It's not like anything bad would've happened.

I think I stare at him for too long, because he rolls his eyes and starts to walk away. "You don't know then?"

_Twenty-five_

I get the paper back from English class today. You know, the one that I used for therapeutic purposes. With the zombies.

I reread it, just to make sure that I was as crazy as I think I was. But now there're comments all over the page and, apparently, the teacher let all the kids in our grade read it.

Except, you know, me. I don't know how I didn't know about this.

_So, you know, he ate sour milk. Or, at least, some guy did, so he started twitching wildly, and, I don't know why, but he kind of sort of started moaning. Like, really loudly. And then he turned to his roommate._

_And yeah, his roommate was freaking out. Cause, I mean, _why _was he moaning? He didn't know and, as I've already established, I don't know. But, okay, so the roommate and the very strange guy just kind of stare at each other. And, you know, his roommate must not be too smart, cause he just kind of gasps as the guy tears at the skin on his neck._

_And, you know, apparently they're zombies 'cause, yeah, sour milk can do that, 'cause Toshiba said so, and why would Toshiba lie? So, yeah, don't drink sour milk._

_Anyway, it was just the two people, so nothing else really happened. I mean, people screamed and all because, hey, they're _zombies_, and stuff. But, no, only those two were bitten cause, okay, they're in their dorm room, and I don't know why, but they locked the doors._

_And, I don't know, apparently zombies aren't too smart, so they couldn't really open the doors either. And yeah, the rest of the world just kind of laughed at them and then lived peacefully ever after._

_And, yeah. The end. And… stuff._

The first comment is the teacher's. And, yeah, I'm going to have to kill her. Maybe at the same time as when I kill Tadase and Ikuto cause, yeah, they need to die, too.

But that's not the point right now. The point is… actually, yeah, I should probably just show you.

_**That was the most interesting paper I've read throughout my entire teacher career, and I thank you for that. However, I can't tell how this applies to the prompt I gave you: **_**Write about a time when you let your emotions dictate your actions.**_** Maybe I can raise your grade if you can explain this to me. However, you made me laugh. (95)**_

_Twenty-six_

_**Amu? Amu? I'm sorry to say this, and I know this is hard on you. But, there're people who can help, and they really want to help, too. So, if you need to, I just hope that you know that, as your friend, I am there for you. Even though you're kind of crazy.**_

_** And you really, **_**really**_**, need that help. **_**Now.**_** Actually, why are you even reading this? You shouldn't read this, you should be going. **_**Now**_**. For help.**_

_** And bring Ikuto with you. Cause I'm quite sure that he needs help too. Honestly, the way you two act around each other?**_

_** Bring him too. Or maybe he should bring you. That's what happens, right? Guys bring the girls on the dates, right?**_

_** Yes. Make him bring you. Pronto.**_

_** Sorry, but you need it.**_

_** Mashiro Rima**_

_Twenty-seven_

_**Yaya thought that it was hilarious! Yaya saw that commercial too, but didn't think that it would actually work! Yaya has never wanted to drink sour milk, it tastes bad.**_

_** Does that make Ikuto a zombie? Yaya saw him trying to bite your neck…**_

___**YUIKI YAYA! :D :D :D :D**_

_Twenty-eight_

_** Sorry, but you can't date Ikuto anymore. Now, he's not the most innocent boy, but you're a bad influence on him.**_

_** Honestly, zombies?**_

_** Amu, you've got to find your lost sanity, buy some off of Ebay, or get away from my brother. Now. Before I kill you. Or just lock you up in a mental hospital.**_

_** And no, it will not be the same hospital I send my brother to for dating you. Twice. And liking you. Twice.**_

_** And even just relearning your name. And for wanting to relearn your name.**_

_** Or just cause he's my brother.**_

_** Hoshina Utau**_

_Twenty-nine_

_**Your writing was thoroughly entertaining, however, I have some pointers for you.**_

_** Do not be so repetitive, as your writing began to be the same phrase repeated in several different fashions.**_

_** Also, do not be quite so cruel to your characters, and make it less obvious that they're people in your life (From the way you were glaring at them earlier, I assume that the two are Hotori Tadase and Tsukiyomi Ikuto).**_

_** Also, do not completely lose your sanity.**_

_** Sanjou Kairi**_

_Thirty_

_**Please excuse my blunt observation, but you need help. I'll be glad to help you acquire it but… yeah. You need it. Now.**_

_** Tell Ikuto, he should help.**_

_** Fujisaki Nagihiko**_

_Thirty-one_

_**And they thought I needed help because of my paper.**_

_** Hotori Tadase**_

_Thirty-two_

_**Dearest Amu,**_

_** Now, I realize that you can't always change who you are, but Papa, Mama, and I all agree that you need to stop hanging out with your friends. Apparently, insanity is contagious.**_

_** Papa blames Ikuto.**_

_** Mama said that it would only be Ikuto if it were an STD.**_

_** I promptly left the room.**_

_** Yeah, never do this again,**_

_** Hinamori Ami**_

_Thirty-three_

Ikuto looks over my shoulder, smiling as he sees what I'm looking at.

"I read that," he points out proudly, taking the paper. "Although I was a little disappointed that you weren't writing p-"

I smack him. "IKUTO! Don't be such a pervert!" Mortified, I try to grab the paper back.

He simply holds it out of my reach. "Why do you want me to change so much, _Amu_?" He pouts, keeping the paper up.

I finally give up and, instead, push him so that he falls.

Of course, you know, I fall too.

"… Please refrain from having such extreme cases of _PDA_ in the school zone. Thank you," We suddenly hear someone say.

Kairi walks calmly away.

_Thirty-four_

"You know, one of the two zombies is you."

"…"

"…"

"Never write a story again."

_Thirty-five_

"Rawr! I is zombie!"

"… Of course you are Ikuto. Of course you are."

"Amu-chi! Why are you just standing there? Ikuto-chi is a zombie! RUN!"

**Hey hey! So this story has not only been updated (Gasp! Shock!) But it is now done!**

**OMG OMG OMG! IT'S DOOONNNEEEE!**

**Okay, yeah. I'll still take letters and whatnot, cause I have to finish those drabbles, but the actually story line? Done. Finished.**

**The point is, I have to continue another story. So here are the choices:**

**Absolute Power: A story about witches (read the first two chapters, they're up already)**

**Save my Sanity: A reality-check on **_**Shugo Chara!**_**. You don't have kids just seeing things or randomly changing character without wondering what's going on. (The first chapter is up. And the second should be coming soon)**

**See my Act: Utau and Amu have to go to a new school for a project in their production class. Sadly for them, this is the same school that both of their exes go to (The first chapter of this is also up. Again, the second is coming soon).**

**Mirror Mirror: The first chapter of this is coming soon. This will be a series of 10,000+ stories focusing on modern-day renditions of fairy tales. The first of which will be Snow White.**

**Also, all include Amuto (but Save my Sanity and Absolute Power don't necessarily center around it). There shall be a poll up on my profile. However, if you really want, you can just leave a review as well.**

**Adios! Until next time!**

**Also, next time includes letters. Thanks! R&R AND DO THE POLL!**


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